Konoha High
by TheNarator
Summary: The Naruto Cast . . . go to highschool? Sasuke's a loser, Naruto RULES and love is in the air! Naruto likes Hinata, Sakura likes Naruto, Sasuke likes Sakura and Itachi likes . . . Hinata? Naruhina, Shikatema, Nejiten, Sakulee, Choino, Jiratsu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hello. I have decided to write a Konoha High story. Because there aren't enough of them out there already. Because I don't have enough stories running already. Because I don't have enough crap going on already. Because I'm not stressed enough already. Yes, I know, I'm a little insane, but that's what makes me such a good artist. Three guesses who my favorite Akatsuki member is!

**Chapter 1: The Uchiha Brothers, the Pack and the Fangirls!**

It started just like any other school year. The September morning was freezing, the fangirls were crowding out front, and the pack arrived just moments before the bell rang.

"Where _is_ he?!" whined Ino, hugging herself again the chill air. She, Sakura, and a girl neither of them knew very well but was dressed much the same, were standing in a row by the curb in front of the steps, waiting amidst the thin crowd outside the school.

"Oh suck it up!" chattered Sakura, standing next to her and craning her neck to try and see the entrance to the parking lot, "if he sees we're cold he might give one of us his jacket!"

_**Like ME, Cha!**_ cried inner Sakura.

The reality of it was none of them was dressed properly for September. Their sailor outfits, Sakura's pink, Ino's purple the other girl's yellow, were short sleeved, and the skirts were just barely regulation length. They'd all dressed this way for one person and one person alone, and despite the temperature none of them could regret their clothing choices. There was no way _he_ could overlook them in these outfits.

***

"Wow," remarked Sasuke, looking out the passenger side window.

"Wow is right," agreed Itachi, frowning across his little brother's lap to look out the same window. There was really nothing else to say. The school was enormous, a four story monstrosity wrapped almost completely around a square acre of parking lot, complete with indoor pool, tennis court and two basketball courts. Thin but widely stretched crowds of students were clustered around three entrances, but Itachi steered the car toward the main one, where the front office was bound to be. As new students they needed to check in, and anyway he wanted to park somewhere he'd remember.

"Not the school!" snapped Sasuke impatiently, "Her!"

Itachi parked his red jaguar and glanced where his brother was pointing. By the front entrance he'd been aiming for stood a pretty girl with short pink hair, dressed in a scanty pink sailor suit and shivering in the cold. She was about Sasuke's age, and Itachi had to admit she was pretty. Not his type, but pretty just the same. Sasuke, however, couldn't take his eyes off her.

Neither of them hurried toward the entrance, Itachi because he was in no hurry, Sasuke because he didn't want to seem eager to talk to Sailor Pink, so in effect they both kept an air of cool indifference as they sauntered toward the school. Once on the curb and into the crowd, however, they separated, Itachi heading for the steps, Sasuke angling to come around behind the leader of the Color Scouts.

"Hey," breathed Sasuke sexily against the back of her neck, "you look cold."

"Yeah yeah," she replied, not looking back. She waved a hand as though to shoo him away.

Sasuke frowned, then began to shrug out of his dark denim jacket, "here, let me . . ."

"No!" Sakura gasped as she felt him try to drape his coat around her shoulders. Whirling around she pushed the proffered clothing back him, shoving him away, "Get lost!"

Sasuke blinked in confusion and stumbled back a step. No girl at his old school, no girl _anywhere_, had ever rejected him. She glared at him, obviously angry. Her face was flushed and her green eyes flashed, and for a moment all he could think was how much he wanted to pull that petite frame into his arms and kiss those luscious red lips. However, judging by her current expression that was going to get him slapped, so he restrained himself.

Sakura clenched her hands into fists by her sides and glared at her attacker. He was pale boy about her age, wiry but sleekly muscled, with dark hair and black eyes. At any other time she might have found him cute, but at the moment all she could think was that he was the exact opposite of the boy she was waiting for. And she sure as hell didn't want his jacket.

"I have pepper spray in my purse," she warned.

"Hey Sakura-chan, is this guy bugging you?" Ino asked, forgetting the cold for a moment to round on the boy, perfectly manicured hands on her purple clad hips.

"I was just trying to offer her my jacket!" Sasuke snapped angrily at the blond. What right did she have to interfere?

Ino narrowed her eyes, glaring at the intruder. "Well she doesn't want your stupid jacket, so just . . ."

"Oooh, here he comes!" squealed the girl in the yellow sailor suit.

Instantly Sasuke was forgotten. The sound of an engine revving came from across the parking lot and, swerving in between cars, a gleaming red and orange flamed motorcycle came hurtling for the curb. Sakura, Ino and a number of other girls shrieked in excitement as it roared up beside them, coming to a smooth stop in a space up front. A heavy booted foot prodded the kickstand into place and a pair of strong tan hands pulled off the black visored helmet, freeing a head of spiky blond hair. Startlingly blue eyes over exotically birth marked cheeks swept the crowd, and all three sailor suited girls adopted identical seductive poses, leaning forward with one hand on a thigh and one behind their hair.

"Hi Naruto-kuuuuuuuun!" all three of them chorused in perfect unison.

Naruto swung one leg over his bike, leaving the helmet on the seat as he stepped onto the curb. He pocketed the key, but didn't bother securing the motorcycle. No one would dare steal his bike.

Sasuke growled to himself. Competition.

Naruto glanced in Sakura's direction, and suddenly a look of mild concern crossed his face. For a few moments time seemed to slow down as Naruto started toward her, shrugging out of his leather jacket. Sakura's heart pounded, her head spun, and Inner Sakura screamed out in triumph. _**He's noticed! He's noticed me! He's giving me his . . .**_

Naruto continued past her.

Sakura almost fell over in shock. Her heart sank into the bottom of her shoes, and suddenly the morning seemed twice as cold as it had a moment ago.

"Here," she heard him say behind her, "you look cold."

Immediately Sakura, Ino, and the other girl whirled around to see Naruto, now clad only in black pants and a tight orange top that showed off his muscular chest, draping his black leather jacket around a girl with short dark hair and pale eyes. Hinata blushed, shaking her head slightly.

"It's OK, N-naruto-kun, I'm . . ." she stuttered

"No please," Naruto cut her off, his smile bright and warm as she grinned down at her, "I don't want you to freeze, Hinata-chan. Its alright, I'm fine."

Hinata's blush deepened and she nodded, tugging his jacket tighter around her shoulders as she smiled timidly up at him.

Sakura and Ino both fumed, and Inner Sakura punched the air furiously. _**He was supposed to give me his jacket! Cha!**_

"Woo!" someone called from the parking lot. Only a few moments behind the motorcycle a red convertible screeched into a space near the entrance and, nobody bothering with a door, out hopped Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino. Kiba, who'd been driving, grabbed his book bag from the trunk and quickly unzipped it, letting Akamaru jump inside from the backseat before slinging it over one shoulder and sauntering with the others towards Naruto.

**RING!**

The school bell blared across the crowd of students, and as one they all began to file reluctantly inside.

"Hinata!" called a voice from the stairs, and Hinata and Naruto turned to see Neji waiting on the steps. He clicked his fingers and motioned for Hinata to follow him.

"Coming, Nii-san!" she called, then turned to Naruto and mumbled, "h-here," starting to take off his jacket, but he held up a hand.

"Keep it," he told her, still grinning, "I've got loads at home, and anyway it looks better on you."

Hinata blushed and opened her mouth to reply, but Neji snapped his fingers at her again and she simply nodded and rushed after her cousin. When she reached him Neji draped an arm over her shoulders protectively and steered her inside, but that didn't stop her from throwing one last glance over her shoulder at Naruto. He grinned and waved.

***

"All I'm saying is you really should get a girlfriend," Choji told Shikamaru as the pack headed toward its first class, Naruto in the lead. "I mean, its not as though any girl in this school would turn any of us down, if for no other reason than to get near Naruto."

"And I'm telling you I have a girlfriend, she just goes to Suna, that's all," Shikamaru grumbled, naming the rival high school on the other side of town.

"Yeah yeah," said Choji, waving a hand, "I mean a _real _girlfriend. One you haven't made up and you can actually score with! What about Ino, you know she'd jump at the chance to date a friend of Naruto's."

"You take Ino," Shikamaru replied, "I've got Temari, who I did not make up for your information."

"Give me one good reason why you can't ask Hinata out!" Kiba demanded from the front of their procession, making Shikamaru and Choji glance forward.

"She's not ready," Naruto shot back, cuffing Kiba on the side of the head.

"Not ready for what?" Kiba asked, "A date?"

"_It_," Naruto replied, "she's not ready for _it._"

"So don't do _it_, just hold hands or whatever!" Kiba protested.

Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Believe me, if the Perv ever found out I had Hinata as a girlfriend and wasn't _hitting that_, he'd kill me!"

"Jiraiya doesn't have to know!"

"Oh, he'll find out."

"How!?"

"He's a peeping pervert with no life of his own. He has ways."

"You really think he just sits around all day spying on you?"

"He's a sixty year old pervert who writes porn novels. Trust me, he has nothing better to do than spy on me."

"Then get him a girlfriend," droned Shino from behind them.

Both of them jumped at their normally quite friend's sudden vocalization. Then Kiba's face lit up with excitement and he roughly shoved Naruto for his attention.

"Hey, what about Principle Tsunade! God knows she's got a stick up her ass Jiraiya could get rid of!"

"You want me to play matchmaker for a sixty year old perverted porn writer!" Naruto asked, looking horrified.

Naruto grinned mischievously. "I love it!"

**Author's Note:** Ok, as for team Gai, should . . .

A. Neji play the piano and Tenten play the violin, or . . .

B. Neji play the piano and Tenten play the flute, or . . .

C. Neji play the violin and Tenten play the flute, or . . .

D. Neji play the piano and Tenten sit on top and sing, or . . .

E. Neji and Tenten both play the violin?

Either way, Lee plays the guitar, Sakura sings and Gai is the world's most epic music teacher/conductor!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thank you Kurosunanokazuo, OG, NARUHINA-ADDICTEDYELLOWLUVER, lotus2490, sunarose, SleeplessCrayon, stephen and Rose Tiger for your reviews! Yes, I know, another chapter so soon, because I know this is the story you're all dying to read more of. You hate me, I know, but I have no idea where Golden is going. I'm sorry. Apparently I gave you guys too many choices, cause every single person who responded gave a different answer. Thus, I'm picking!

**Chapter 2: A Music Lesson**

Sakura kissed Ino's cheek goodbye, squared her shoulders, and headed to the music room.

This was no ordinary music class though, this was one unique to Konoha High. It was called _Musical Talent_, and it consisted of anyone who was good enough to get in, no matter what they played. You had to audition just to take the class, an act which had been recommended to Sakura by last year's chorus teacher, and one she now regretted as she surveyed the enormous classroom. There were about a hundred chairs, each with a metal music stand in front of it, all arranged in front of a teacher's space, which consisted of a desk, a conductor's stand and a grand piano. A steady stream of students filed in and chose a seat, but what made Sakura' s eyes flick nervously about was that every single one of them seemed to be carrying an instrument. Sakura didn't play an instrument, she sang, and as she look around with increasing panic it began to seem rather like she was the only one.

"Move!" snapped a voice behind her.

Sakura whirled around to stare straight into the eyes of Neji Hyuuga. "Huh?" she asked nervously.

Neji rolled his eyes. "You're blocking the door!" he told her exasperatedly, all but shoving her out of the way as he entered. Sakura stepped quickly aside, watching him as he strode quickly to the front of the room and took a seat next to a girl with her brown hair in two large buns and a flute case. Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she realized Neji wasn't carrying an instrument, then she noticed how he eyed the grand piano hungrily and sighed. That explained it, you really couldn't carry a piano to and from school.

Sakura took a seat, careful to stay close to the back but not close enough to get her ears blown out by the bigger instruments. Behind her sat a boy in a green T-shirt and shorts, with a shining black bowl haircut and very bushy eyebrows. He was carrying a bright green guitar on his back, which struck Sakura as odd, as every other student was carefully unpacking a classical instrument.

"Good morning my musical young students!" came a loud, booming voice from the front of the room. Out of nowhere bounded a man in a green suit, a shining black bowl haircut, and quite the most exuberant attitude she could imagine. He held a conductor's baton in one hand, and a class list in the other.

"I see we have a new student this year!" he continued, no less enthusiastically than before, "Sakura Haruno, please stand!"

Sakura stood, nervously but straight-backed.

"You may call me Gai-sensei! Now, tell us what you play and give a small demonstration of the talent that put you here among your musical peers!"

Sakura swallowed hard. "Well, I don't actually play an instrument, I . . ." a few snickers interrupted, but she continued, "I sing, sensei."

The snickering continued and Gai frowned. "Now now, the voice is just as beautiful an instrument as any! We should all respect Sakura's abilities and give her our full attention!"

All eyes turned to Sakura. She gulped. She was grateful the teacher had stood up for her, but she still wished he hadn't said that. She shut her eyes tight and forced herself to inhale deeply.

"_This is real_

_this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm_

_supposed to be_

_I'm gonna let the light_

_shine on me!_

_Now I found_

_who I am_

_there's no way_

_to hold it in!_

_No more hiding_

_who I wanna be!_

_This is me!"_

Gai, and the boy with the guitar behind her, both applauded wildly as Sakura sank back into her seat. The girl with her hair in buns, who Sakura now remembered to be an upperclassmen named Tenten, tapped two fingers on the heel of her palm and smiled encouragingly. When she noticed that Neji wasn't clamping she nudged him gently with her elbow, but her only slapped his hands together reluctantly a few times before folding his arms over his chest again.

Nobody else clapped.

"Well, now . . ." chimed in Gai, as though trying to cover up for the lack of applause, "how about a demonstration from two of our star students! A duet, from Neji and Tenten!"

Everyone applauded.

As Neji arranged himself on the piano stool and Tenten got out her flute and put two sheets of music on the stand, Sakura tried to sink through the bottom of her chair and into the floor. That had to have been the most embarrassing moment of her life. She hadn't slipped in her performance; her voice hadn't broken, she'd been on key, but it had impressed no one. She groaned inwardly. This class was going to be a tough crowd.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she noticed the boy with the guitar leaning forward, smiling warmly.

"My name is Rock Lee," he said softly, "and I thought your performance was beautiful, Sakura-san."

"Apparently not by this class's standards," Sakura replied dully, but smiled just the same.

Lee shook his head. "Do not mind them, they are just a bit stuck up. We have never had a singer before. They treat me the same way, because I do not play a classical instrument. I sing a little, also, but mostly I play the guitar."

Sakura's smile turned sympathetic. "I'm sorry. This place really sucks, huh?"

Lee grinned broadly and shook his head again. "Not at all! Gai-sensei is a brilliant teacher! He makes up for everyone else!"

Lee and Sakura both giggled quietly to each other. Suddenly Lee pressed a finger to his lips and made a small shushing noise. "Sh, they are starting!"

Tenten began, sending out the first clean, pure, penetrating note. Neji followed her. Sakura had to admit, it certainly wasn't difficult to see, or rather hear, why they were stars. They were brilliant, both of them, and they sounded brilliant together. It was Beethoven, or some such composer, and for a moment Sakura closed her eyes and let it wash over her. However, as she listened, she began to notice something odd. About halfway through the song she opened her eyes to see Tenten's chocolate ones searching the sheet music desperately, as though looking for her place. Somewhere near the beginning of the song three notes had been played, first by flute and then piano, and then the process had been repeated twice more. Now, as Tenten played that same sequence it was Neji who led. Sakura frowned. She didn't know a great deal about instruments. But she knew that was unusual.

When the performance was over there was a smattering of polite applause. The rest of the class was uneventful; Gai led them all through scales and series of warm-ups, all of which he had to make subtle adjustments to for Sakura and which made her very uncomfortable. Lee kept putting his hand on her shoulder and whispering encouragements supportively. Sakura didn't think she'd ever been so grateful for someone sitting next to her.

"Sakura, Lee, please wait a moment!" called Gai when the bell rang.

"Yes Gai-sensei!" replied Lee enthusiastically, coming to stand at attention before their teacher. Sakura came up behind him, fidgeting nervously.

"Neji, you too!" he beckoned the Hyuuga from where he'd just been about to escape out the classroom door. Neji rolled his eyes but came, Tenten lingering in the back unnoticed to watch.

"Neji," said Gai, clapping the boy on the shoulder, "if you would be so kind as to play the sheet music on my desk, I would like to try a small experiment. Sakura, Lee, how would the two of you like to try . . . a duet!?"

"Yes Gai-sensei!" cried Lee, practically bursting with enthusiasm. Sakura laughed hesitantly, but then nodded after a moment's thought. What harm could it do.

Sakura and Lee went to stand by the piano, Gai placing a copy of the sheet music on the piano for them both to read. Neji looked up at Sakura expectantly. She blinked, confused.

Neji rolled his eyes. "What key?" he demanded impatiently.

"Uh . . ."

"It doesn't matter," Gai saved, motioning to Neji to start playing.

Heads bent over the music so they could both see, so close they were almost nose to nose, the two of them sang.

"_It's hard to believe,_

_that I couldn't see,_

_that you were always_

_there beside me._

_Thought I was alone,_

_with no one to hold,_

_but you were always_

_right beside me._

_This feeling's_

_like no other._

_I want you to know,_

_that I've never had someone,_

_that knows me like you do._

_The way you do._

_And I've never had someone,_

_as good for me as you._

_No one like you._

_So lonely before,_

_I finally found,_

_What I've been looking for."_

Sakura glanced up at Lee. His voice was wonderful. But she didn't think she could tell him so.

"Very nice, both of you!" praised Gai, giving them the thumbs up, "We will work on it more next class, but for now run along!"

Sakura and Lee both nodded and turned to go, Neji standing to follow them.

"Just a moment, Neji," Gai motioned for the other boy to stay where he was.

"Have I done something wrong, sensei?" Neji asked, something like barely suppressed malice in his tone.

Gai looked at Neji for a long moment. "Your part follows Tenten's throughout that piece," Gai told him evenly, "but by the end you were leading. Why?"

Neji closed his eyes as though utterly unconcerned. "She was slowing down. I kept tempo, that's all."

"Is that so?" Gai asked, "Then why couldn't you keep tempo with her?"

Neji gave his teacher a look. "I followed the music."

"Yes, but you compromised the performance and forced your partner to improvise to your playing. It would have been easier for you to slow down than for her to adjust herself to your speed. When you play a duet, or with any other performer, you will consider their performance as you give your own. Two instruments are better than one, but only if they compliment each other. When you have a solo you can play as fast or as slow as you want, but while performing with others you will bear them in mind. Understood?"

Neji gritted his teeth, "Understood, sensei." He turned on his heel and walked out.

***

Lee stood by the door to the music room, watching Sakura walk away.

"You like her, don't you?" asked Tenten, coming up behind him and leaning tomboy style on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Lee sighed.

"You like performing with her."

"Yeah."

"You want to sing with her again."

"Yeah."

"You really wish she wasn't leaving."

"Yeah."

Tenten grinned. "Well, look on the bright side."

Lee glanced at her.

"She's coming back tomorrow."

Lee grinned. "Yes. She is coming back tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Hello everybody! First up, shout-outs! Lotus2490, Rose Tiger and Kurosunanokazuo, you all rule! I love you all! Next, a warning. There are extreme Uchiha obsessions in this next chapter. You know how Sasuke is with his major league obsessive personality. I guess I kinda just imagined a 'normal' Itachi the same way. Hence, we have the Uchiha brothers going all old-school fairy tale about their crushes.

**Chapter 3: Crushes in Class**

"Good morning class my name is Kakashi-sensei. Not Kakashi, not Kak-sensei, and not K-dog. This is how it goes, you read the chapter at home, I give you a test at the end of every week. You don't do your homework, you fail the tests, you fail the class, its that simple. I really don't care if you pass or fail, its all the same to me if I have you next year or not. In class, I really don't care what you do. You let me read, I let you do whatever. We understand each other?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," the class chorused at the silver haired teacher with his face hidden behind an Icha Icha book.

"Good," he replied, then sat down behind his desk and swiveled his chair around so his back was to them. He had never looked at the class once, and it appeared they were to be left to their own devices. Immediately every student pivoted in his or her chair and began to talk, quietly but animatedly, to one another. Three decks of cards and a multitude of paper airplanes were produced from nowhere, cellphones and ipods where whipped out, and History class became a sort of makeshift study hall. Who said high school students weren't resourceful?

Sakura and Ino sat in the front, both with compacts out to get a good look at the Pack, who all sat in a cluster at the back of the room, Naruto in the middle leading a kind of group discussion that looked interestingly like a conspiracy in the making.

"What do you suppose they're up to?" asked Ino, pressing a hand to her mouth to stop her giggles as she leaned into Sakura, angling her mirror to get a better view of Naruto.

"I don't know," Sakura squealed, "but I bet its against a ton of school rules!"

"Naruto-kun is such a bad boy!" Ino practically shuddered with excitement.

Sakura really did shudder, pressing her fisted hands to her mouth in barely contained delight. "I know! He's so dangerous, but also really dreamy! Oh, I wish he'd given me his jacket! Then everyone would think I was his girlfriend!"

"I'd give anything to be Naruto-kun's girl," Ino sighed.

"Well, not anything," Sakura reminded her, somewhat more soberly.

Ino smiled. "Yeah. There is one thing I wouldn't give up."

Sakura nodded. When they'd both first decided they liked Naruto, way back in third grade, they'd made a pact that they'd never let it come between them. Whichever one Naruto picked, the other would support her and be happy for her. No matter what. They both knew all too well, Naruto was not the kind of guy who liked girls who let boys affect their friendships. They'd heard him tell his friend Shikamaru as much, and they were not likely to forget it in a hurry. Naruto's word was law, as far as they were concerned.

***

Sasuke sat at the back of the room, in the corner opposite the Pack, simply content to stare at the angel. The longer he looked at her the more he was convinced she was one. She was beautiful, more beautiful than anything or anyone he'd ever seen. She was a vision, a work of art, some heavenly masterpiece that god had made as a reward for some wonderful thing mankind had done. He wasn't sure what it was or who had done it, but he was eternally grateful. He hadn't lived until he'd met her. His eyes hadn't seen until they'd caught sight of her. His heart hadn't beat until she had made it race. He wanted to be closer to her, but he didn't dare leave his seat and approach her, expecting that she was still angry from their earlier encounter. He could see now that he'd been foolish to think a goddess could be won so easily. This would take work, time, care. He would have to be patient, plan his moves carefully, show attentiveness and dedication. He would overwhelm her with his charm, sweep her off her feet, lure her into the dazzling world of his affection and never let her go. Only then could let himself be lost in those shining green eyes. Only then could he run his fingers through that soft pink hair. Only then could he hold that beautiful, curvy body close and kiss those cherry lips.

Sasuke simply couldn't wait.

There was also the small matter of his competition. Under normal circumstances Sasuke would consider a guy like Naruto no threat, but it seemed his cherry blossom was as completely infatuated with the blond as all the other girls in this school. He would have to do something about that.

***

Two rows before Sasuke, directly in front of the Pack, Itachi was having a similar experience. While the younger Uchiha was busy hungrily eying his pink-haired angel, his older brother was losing himself gazing at an angel of his own.

Itachi's was the same age as Sasuke's, but they were nothing alike. She had long dark hair, pale, pale skin, and perfectly white eyes like pearls. She was slender, willowy, shy, timid as she tugged the leather jacket given to her by Itachi's new rival in love just over an hour ago tighter around her shoulders. She was wearing a blue, sailor school uniform ensemble, but not a slutty one like the pink haired girl Sasuke was drooling over. On hers the sleeves and skirt were long, the blouse not so tight and clingy, and this one had stockings. Itachi wanted more than anything to see what she was hiding under those prim and proper clothes, but in a way he was glad she wore them. He didn't want any other man to see what he had decided, the moment he'd walked into this class, was going to be his. Hinata Hyuuga would be his. And soon.

Itachi shot a death glare over his shoulder at the blond biker boy and his gang of cronies. He went unnoticed. It was all for the better he supposed, it was best not to lose the element of surprise. By the overheard gossiping of the fangirls he was able to find out that his Hinata was the 'lucky girl' that 'Naruto-kun' liked. That, of course, meant war.

It didn't take a genius to figure out he liked her. It also didn't take a rocket scientist to tell she liked him back. Itachi would have to find a way around this if he was to claim the pearly eyed beauty for himself. In all his life he'd never wanted a girl so badly. Being 17 he was no virgin, and neither was Sasuke for that matter, but that was beside the point. None of the girls he'd had so far had made him feel this way, and he'd never wanted one as badly as he wanted Hinata. So really, that settled it. Naruto Uzumaki would have to be destroyed.

***

Hinata knew it was silly. It was a jacket, nothing more. And yet, he'd given it to her over an hour ago and she was still giddy. _Giddy!_ She felt lightheaded. Years and years of watching Naruto from afar, trying both to and not to make things of every sidelong glance, every brush of shoulders in the halls, and she was still obsessing over this. She shouldn't be. She really shouldn't. She should know better, after all this time. Naruto was a bad boy, a troublemaker, a street fighter, the kind of guy all the girls wanted to have crushing on them and a girl like her shouldn't even be thinking about. A good girl, an heiress, the oldest, obedient daughter of a very powerful man from a very powerful family. She was a good girl. And Naruto was a bad boy. She shouldn't be thinking this way, about the two of them, together. And all over a jacket. She shouldn't. But she was.

She leaned her chin on her hand and tugged the thing tighter around her again. It wasn't cold inside, but she didn't want to take it off. Half out of the instinctual knowledge that if she did it would immediately be torn to ribbons by every other girl in the room as each tried to snatch it for themselves. Half out of the fact that it still smelled like him. She really didn't want to let that smell go to waste. She wanted to breath it in for as long as it would linger. She inhaled deeply through her nose. It really did smell like him, the warm scent of motorcycle fumes and ramen. It smelled like body heat, _his_ body heat. Yeah, she didn't want to let that smell go to waste.

She sighed. She had it bad, didn't she?

Hinata toyed with an oil stained sleeve. Naruto's family wasn't exactly small time either, was it? They might not have been old, powerful blood, but they had serious connections. Jiraiya, one of the greatest writing talents of the age, and the Senju family that had dominated local politics for decades. New money, old money, young power, ancient power, what did it matter really? Influence was influence, and Naruto's dad had influence. His mother wasn't local, she'd come from a city some ways off, but supposedly there her family had been the big noise. For generations they'd been the big noise. Influence was influence, no matter how or where. So really, it wasn't such a bad thing for her to take an interest in Naruto. He was of her class, his family of her caliber, right? Her father couldn't object. Could he?

A scrap of paper flew from nowhere and tapped lightly down onto Hinata's desk. For a moment she just stared at it, hardly daring to believe what it was. It was folded several times into a triangle, and at first glance she might have thought it a stray paper football. But it had her name scrawled across the outside. Her hand trembling, she worked it open.

_Milkshakes at the quad? After school?_

Hinata stared at the invitation, eyes wide. Then she whirled around to look behind her. Naruto, chin resting on the arms crossed over his desktop, looked back at her with puppy dog eyes and an almost sheepish smile. It was him. It had to have been. He'd passed her a note. Asking her out. On a date. After school. Today! Unable to breath or even see properly, Hinata nodded shakily.

Naruto beamed at her.

**Author's Note:** Yeah yeah I know I screwed with Itachi's age a bit, but hey, they're supposed to be in high school at the same time. I needed Itachi to be a bit younger. Also . . . the Uchiha brothers are plotting against Naruto! Will they join forces? Will they try and trick Sakura and Hinata? What will they do? No seriously, what will they do? I have no idea. And, from now on they are no longer Sasuke and Itachi. They are . . . the Uchiha Brothers! Having Itachi around has done wonders for Sasuke hasn't it? It hasn't effected his obsessive personality though. Hm, some things never change. Having a crush on Naruto is much better for a girl's health, and her social life, than having a crush on Sasuke, no?


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thank you guys for your reviews. Now, Gaara! But not Temari. Sorry, the idea is that she's Shikamaru's surprise at the end. Also, Gaara is going to be waaaaaaaaay OOC. Sorry. But this is my, idk, my randomness.

**Chapter 4: At the Quad**

The quad was essentially a number of food stands and small stores, all organized around a large open area of neat stone tiles which was scattered with tables and chairs. It was outdoors, and halfway between Konoha High and Suna High, so naturally teenagers from both schools flocked to the neutral meeting place to hang out with friends that attended the rival high school. It was also the perfect place to bring a date.

"You think she'll show?" asked Naruto, a bit nervously, craning his neck to look around as the Pack entered through the stone archway.

"She said she'd be here," Kiba replied, dismissing Naruto's concern with a wave of his hand.

"She nodded, that isn't saying she'd be here," Naruto countered, still trying to catch a glimpse of his pale eyed crush. Instead his eyes fell on a familiar mop of violently red hair. He grinned, then stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

Gaara, who'd been sitting at a table near the stone archway entrance, jerked his head around at the noise. Almost immediately he was at Naruto's side, his sea green eyes wide and excited.

"Naruto-niisan, I thought you'd never get here!" Gaara cried ecstatically, hugging Naruto around the waist.

"Of course I'm here!" Naruto replied happily, hooking one arm around Gaara's neck and hugging him back, "I wouldn't forget you! Besides, there's someone I'm meeting here, and I want you to meet her."

Gaara tilted his head to the side. "Hinata-chan?" he asked, eyes wide.

Naruto grinned and nodded, and Gaara smiled appreciatively in reply. As they walked back to the table Gaara fell into step behind Naruto, resting his chin on the blond boy's shoulder and clinging to his arm. Upon reaching the table the rest of the Pack situated themselves in chairs, Kiba straddling his backwards, Shino slouching in his seat, Shikamaru leaning his head on his arms folded over the table, and Choji leaving his backpack in a chair by Shikamaru as he went to get himself something to eat. Akamaru freed himself from Kiba's backpack, leaped onto the table, and curled up before his master. Across the table Gaara was engaging in almost similar behavior. Naruto sat down and leaned forward, arms on the table. Gaara immediately slouched forward in his seat, resting chin on Naruto's arm, looking up at his niisan with puppy dog eyes.

***

Meanwhile, back in the parking lot, two cars were pulling up. One was the Uchiha jaguar, carrying the two lovestruck brothers. The other was a silver Porsche, bearing three Hyuugas.

"Thanks for driving me, Neji-niisan," Hinata murmured, climbing from the car.

"You sure you don't want me to pick you up?" Neji asked, a little perplexed, from the driver's seat as Hinata closed the door behind herself.

"Mhm," she muttered, "I . . . I can get a ride home, Neji-niisan."

"If you're sure, Hinata-chan," Neji replied, shrugging.

"Good luck!" called Hanabi from the backseat. Hinata waved, then scampered off toward the stone archway.

Itachi watched his pale eyed angel run off to meet another guy with a burning sensation in his gut. He'd never experienced jealousy before. Now having had the experience he decided he disliked it. Watching his Hinata rush to get to a date with someone else was nothing short of pure torture.

"Do you think she'll be here?" Sasuke asked nervously, scanning the parking lot for something he thought his pink haired goddess might drive.

"I'm sure she will," Itachi assured his younger brother sincerely. Of course he'd noticed almost immediately how infatuated his younger brother had become with the girl that had caught his eye that morning. In fact he'd taken a shine to the idea of a double date, but first they had to get the girls.

***

Hinata stood in the entranceway, beginning to rethink her decision. She'd been to the Quad only twice before, and always she'd been accompanied by her cousin. Neji might have been a lot of unattractive things, but a poor older brother figure was not one of them. He'd always taken care of her, always looked out for her, grudgingly in the past, but with more care of late. And of course, he'd always been with her in social situations. This time she was on her own, and that thought intimidated her a bit. What if the note hadn't been from Naruto? Or worse, what if it had been a joke? What if he wasn't actually expecting her to show, and she was setting herself up to get laughed at by all his . . .

"Hinata-chan!"

Naruto dashed excitedly over to her, his eyes over-bright and excited, an almost equally excited and very curious looking redhead about their age on his heels. For a moment, Hinata just stood there, caught between surprise and a kind of euphoria. Naruto was right in front of her. He was smiling radiantly down at her. He was saying something, enthusiastically if a bit nervously, that she barely registered as an invitation to come and sit down at the table where the rest of the Pack was waving to them. She nodded, giving a small, high pitched noise of consent, and forced herself not to swoon as he took her hand gently and guided her over to the table.

Naruto could hardly believe it. He was sitting at a table in the Quad, the rest of the Pack slowly gravitating toward other activities (though Gaara still clung to his arm waiting to be introduced), with what had to be the prettiest girl in school. And she was still wearing his jacket! His heart was making a valiant effort to fly out his mouth as she snuggled into him, smiling and blushing cutely, pulling the thing tighter around herself. He'd meant what he'd said that morning, it really did look better on her. Now all that was required was to get the Perv a date, and he was the official luckiest guy in Konoha High. Best first day of school _ever_!

***

Across the Quad, two mouthfuls of pink lemonade hit the pavement.

"Is that . . . is that . . . _Naruto-kun_!?" choked Ino.

"With _Hinata_?!" spluttered Sakura. Both girls stared, open mouthed, droplets of sugary pink drink dripping down their chins, as Naruto guided Hinata to a table not twenty feet from where they sat. Ino's drink crumpled in her iron grip, spilling lemonade over her hand, but she didn't seem to notice or care.

Sakura dropped hers unceremoniously onto the table and grabbed Ino's sticky hand. "Come on!" she hissed, darting for one of the empty tables between them and the school heartthrob, "Let's get closer!"

They had, of course, come to the Quad for this express purpose. Spying on Naruto was something of a hobby to them, as well as a number of other girls throughout the school, but there were no two such avid Naruto-watchers as Sakura and Ino. They'd been stalking him since kindergarten, and ever since Ino's father had gotten her her first sunshine yellow Volkswagen Bug for her sweet sixteen they'd spent every afternoon here, waiting for Naruto to show up to hang out with the Pack, or else driving around after his motorcycle.

They had not, however, expected to find Naruto here with a date.

"What is that . . . that little slut doing!" Ino demanded, shading her eyes against the autumn sunlight to watch as Hinata blushed and glanced at the table, then looked back up at Naruto and murmured something neither of them could hear.

"You can't really blame her for being lucky," Sakura breathed, half longing, half distracted, eyes fixed on the couple.

"She's still wearing his jacket!" Ino hissed, "I can't believe that little social climber!"

"Its just a jacket Ino, its cold out."

"But still!" Ino whined, "That jacket should have been mine! I should be the one over there!"

"I can't tell what he sees in her personally," said a voice off to Sakura's other side. Both girls jumped and looked around quickly to see none other than the boy from that morning seated at their table. He was watching Naruto and Hinata's date unfold as though it were mildly interesting to him as well, and barely seemed to take notice of the two girls at the table.

"What do _you_ want?" Ino demanded, glaring angrily at the intruder.

"A milkshake," Sasuke stated bluntly, turning his attention to Ino, "strawberry, if they have it. I'm in the mood for something," he turned a hungry gaze on Sakura for a moment, "pink. You couldn't run and get me one, could you?"

"Not on your life, you . . ." Ino began outraged. Sasuke cut her off, shoving a wad of bills into her hands.

Ino took a moment to study the cash. "There's . . . there's gotta be like a hundred dollars here!"

"Keep the change," said Sasuke, now looking back at the unfolding romance as though she barely interested him any longer.

Ino glanced at Sakura, as though for permission. Sakura rolled her eyes, but grinned and nodded. If this jerk thought he would get anywhere with her in the time it'd take Ino to get a strawberry milkshake, he deserved to have his money taken. Ino patted Sakura's hand once and got to her feet, swaggering off toward the milkshake stand. Besides, she thought, counting the bills as she walked, Naruto was likely to go for a milkshake soon anyway, and it'd be nice to 'accidentally' bump into him. Sakura could handle herself.

Back at the table Sasuke turned in his seat to face Sakura, his eyes boring into hers. "I'm afraid I haven't properly introduced myself," said the boy coolly, offering her a pale hand, "I'm Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sakura Haruno," she replied carefully, taking his hand after a moment's hesitation. Sasuke didn't waste a second, he immediately grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, never breaking eye contact.

_Sakura_, he thought, _Sakura Haruno._ The perfect name for a perfect goddess.

"Can I help you?" she asked waspishly, tugging her hand back and raising an eyebrow.

_You can come back to my house and let me ravish you_. "I just wanted to apologize. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot this morning."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. She supposed she had been rude to him that morning, but he'd sneaked up on her and almost messed up her plan. Then again, he couldn't have known. He'd just been trying to be nice, even if he was a bit . . . intense. She smiled, "That's okay. It doesn't matter, let's just forget it, okay?"

"Fine by me," he replied, smiling lightly. Inside he was singing. She'd forgiven him! He wanted to grab her and kiss her, but he didn't want to do himself further injury. He felt lightheaded.

_Be my princess and let me rescue you. Be my goddess and let me worship you. Be my lover and let me love you. Be mine . . . Sakura . . ._

Intense wasn't the right word, Sakura decided. By the desperately hungry look he was giving her now, she decided the word was insane. She had the slightly sickening feeling he was thinking up perverted things to do to her. Really, she was surprised he wasn't droolilng. She would have to find out where this guy's house was and avoid it. If she ever went in, she didn't think she'd make it out a virgin. Or maybe at all.

"Are you . . . do you have a problem?" she asked tentatively, not really sure how to handle a suspected date rapist.

_I'm in love with a sex-dream goddess and desperately trying to conceal the fact that I'm horny just looking at her_. "What do you mean?"

**Author's Note:** I had hoped to finish up this date this chapter, but it looks like it wasn't to be. This is gonna be a long afternoon. Oh well, I needed to post something anyway. Swine flu + no reviews = mental insanity. Hope you like! Oh, and for those of you who care, I'm finally starting on the new chapter for Golden. I'm not worrying about length as I have in the past, so it will be short and it may be sucky. However, I will finish that damn story if it kills me!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you Rose Tiger, morristofox, KurosunanoKazuo, Byzantea, dontfeellikesigningin and riia luvs anime for your reviews! Okay, just for the record, there will be no lemons in Konoha High. Sasuke may think, and possible say, some really perverted things, possibly explicitly describe a sexual situation, and most definitely come on himself while looking at Sakura at some point in the story, but there will be no actual sex. Oh, and as to the title, well, I'm feeling playful.

**Chapter 5: Hinata's Milkshake**

"He's so . . . cute!" Hinata simpered. Gingerly she reached out a hand to run a tentative finger over Gaara's forehead, tracing the kanji for love tattooed beneath his hairline. Gaara beamed at the compliment, making a small purring noise in his throat and closing his eyes blissfully when Hinata touched his forehead.

"He's like a puppy," Naruto laughed, a bit nervously, "and a little brother too. He goes to Suna. He was getting into fights at school 'cause he was having all these issues at home. Then he picked a fight with me."

"What happened?" asked Hinata, giving Naruto a look that was half worried, half curious and 100% adorable. Naruto swallowed. She really was the cutest.

"I just knocked a bit of sense into him," he told her, patting Gaara's head and earning another appreciative noise from the ginger who was looking back and forth between them as they talked like a child watching its parents. "I helped him patch things up with his family, what's left of it anyway, and now its like he's adopted me as a part of it. I'm 'niisan' now."

"You are my brother," Gaara protested, nosing at Naruto's retreating hand like a puppy that wanted to be petted. Naruto obliged him, resuming his toying with the ends of Gaara's red hair.

"What did Naruto-kun mean, 'what's left of your family'?" Hinata asked quietly, still tracing the tattoo tenderly.

Gaara turned his puppy-like attention to the pale eyed girl. "My mom died when I was born," he explained, "and my dad was a son of a bitch . . ."

"Gaara!" Naruto snapped.

"Not a great dad," Gaara corrected, rolling his eyes as he rested his head on the table so as to intensify the small pet-able thing effect, "It's just me and my siblings now, my birth brother and sister."

"They're always welcome at my place, though," Naruto continued, "which reminds me, weren't you and Kankuro going to pick Temari up from her martial arts class?"

"Oh yeah!" Gaara cried, jumping up and grabbing a sand-colored leather book bag. He gave Naruto one last brief hug and nodded politely to Hinata. "It was nice meeting you, Hinata-chan. See you later!"

"He seems like a nice kid," Hinata giggled, watching Gaara dart off to the parking lot where a black Hummer had just pulled up.

"He is," Naruto sighed, "but not everyone sees it, right away."

"You remind me of my niisan," Hinata murmured without thinking.

Naruto looked up at her, startled. "You have a brother?" he asked. He'd thought he knew everything about Hinata's family. Her dad was a big time business man, and very influential in the local government, thanks to their old, rich and powerful family. She had a younger sister, and an older cousin that lived with her and her dad, due to the fact that his own father had died when he was young. Naruto, however, didn't know anything about a brother.

Hinata blushed slightly, looking away. "No," she replied quietly, "I . . . I just . . ."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side. Hinata hesitated. "You know, Hinata-chan," he whispered, taking her hand, "you can tell me anything."

Hinata's look of apprehension faded to a radiant, if shy, smile. Naruto's breath caught in his throat. Dear gods was she beautiful.

"I . . . I call Neji, niisan," she explained, "He's technically my cousin, so father doesn't like it. Its just that he's always taken care of me, and . . . well . . ."

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto laughed, beaming. Hinata turned another four shades of red as Naruto smiled down at her, and she was sure if he didn't go on she would embarrass herself by being quite unable to speak.

Naruto bent his head until they were almost nose to nose, and Hinata fought the urge to faint. "You said, before, that Gaara was cute," Naruto told her softly, "well, so are you. You remind me of him, that way."

Hinata wasn't really sure how she managed to not faint.

Naruto might not have been the most perceptive person in the world, but he could tell by the way Hinata was shaking and sputtering that she needed some air. "You want a milkshake?" he asked, "After all, that is what I originally asked you here for, right?" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, waiting for her response.

"Um, yeah," she murmured, still a little dazed from being called cute by the boy she'd had a borderline obsessive crush on for years. "Could I have vanilla?"

"Of course!" Naruto laughed, grinning again, "anything you want! I'll be right back!"

***

Itachi watched as Naruto scurried off to the milkshake stand, leaving the pale-eyed princess on her own. As much as he wanted to just punch the idiot's lights out right now, he decided to leave him for the time being. His Hinata liked the boy, so it was possible he might learn something. Already the blond had given him one idea.

Clutching a soda loosely in one hand he stuck the other in his pocket and sauntered past the table Naruto had just left. Hinata was sitting limply in her seat, trying to compose herself before Naruto got back. Itachi took a sip from his drink, carefully not looking at her as he walked past. Then, when he was just a few steps in front of her he pretended to stumble on a loose cobblestone, drink slipping from his hand and spilling across the pavement, and all over Hinata's shoes.

"Oh, sorry!" Itachi cried, pretending to be startled and horrified. Instead he watched carefully as the angel gave a small squeak at the cold liquid on her feet, then quickly bent down to pick up his now half-full cup.

"That's alright, it was an accident," she murmured in that high, breathy, angelic voice of hers. Itachi fell to his knees as though also to pick up the spilled soda.

It was all expertly timed. Hinata gingerly bent forward on her knees, her hand coming to caress the plastic drink container Itachi had held not moments ago, like a once-removed caress to his own hand. Immediately Itachi's hand shot forward, coming down on top of hers as though by accident. Itachi was careful to lean forward just enough so that their noses were inches apart, but not so close that they touched. As her head tilted up to look at him curiously when he did not remove his hand he could see his dark eyes reflected in her pale ones. She breathed into his face, filling his nose with a warm, sweet scent. He made a note as he detected the flavor of her dessert at lunch. His Hinata liked vanilla.

"I'm terribly sorry," he rasped in his deep voice, fighting the urge to move his head that last inch and connect their lips. While Sasuke might have had no self-control whatsoever, Itachi was more disciplined. Instead he schooled his features to look surprised and apologetic, causing the angel to grace him with a dazzling shy smile.

"It's okay. Like I said, it was an accident. I can be really clumsy sometimes." Hinata smiled at the boy that had hold of her hand. She wasn't sure if he'd meant to or not, but he had curled his fingers around hers so that he was now holding her hand rather tightly. He was a bit older than her, and in any other situation she might have been frightened, but he looked so humbled by his mistake that she wasn't intimidated. He was sweet, she decided, but he did need to let go of her hand.

"Thanks," replied Itachi, giving a sheepish smile, then glanced down at their joined hands. "Sorry!" he repeated, as though he'd only just noticed he had hold of her, and quickly pulled his hand away. "I just . . I'm not used to . . . this is kind of like . . . well . . ."

Itachi kept his shy smile in place, pretending to stutter and grasp for words. It was a bit embarrassing, but he had a feeling this was the kind of girl he'd get farther with by endearing himself to, rather than acting the sophisticated romantic. That was more Sasuke's approach, and in truth it didn't really work for him, at least beyond the realm of mindless fangirls. Itachi had little interest in one-night stands, and even if he was, Hinata was anything but a one-time thing. Acting sweet and cute had worked for Naruto. With any luck it would work just as well for him.

"Itachi Uchiha," he said abruptly, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it gratefully, and he pulled her to her feet, resisting the urge to pull a little too hard so she fell into his arms. As it was, like a sign from the fates, she tripped getting her feet under her, stumbling and having to grab his upper arm to steady herself for a brief moment. Itachi took half a second to feel blessed.

"Hinata Hyuuga," she replied, blushing cutely, once she'd found her footing, "nice to meet you."

"Hinata-chan!" came a voice behind her. She turned, smiling, to see Naruto hurrying toward them at a fair clip, clutching two milkshakes. He frowned, distressed, when he saw Itachi, coming to a stop just next to Hinata.

"I got your milkshake," he piped up, offering it to her. He looked disheartened. Hinata opened her mouth to speak, not wanting him to think he'd done something wrong, but Itachi beat her to it.

"Don't mind me!" he said quickly, holding up his hands and stepping back. "I just . . ." he gestured at his spilled drink, "I'm clumsy. And new in town, by the way. I'm Itachi."

"Naruto," the blond nodded, grinning again now the mood was a bit lighter, "you go to Konoha?"

"Just started today," Itachi replied, smiling back, "I heard this was the local hangout. The milkshakes here good?"

"Great!" Naruto replied, jerking his head at the stand, "you should try one."

"Good idea," Itachi replied, nodding and making his exit quickly but casually. He had decided not to make an enemy of Naruto just yet. He wasn't sure just how much he could learn from him, and anyway it was best not to provoke a fight in a public place, especially not where such precious virgin eyes might see. If he was going to fight for Hinata, and fight he would, if he had to, he didn't want her to bear witness. She was pure and innocent as the driven snow, and he didn't want to taint her with such things, as he knew that bicker undoubtedly would. He'd have to sabotage that relationship as soon as possible.

**Author's Note:** Itachi is much smoother and smarter than Sasuke, no? Anyway, raise your hand (or better yet REVIEW) if you want me to make an OC girl for Itachi to end up with, since he is so not going to score with Hinata-chan. Happy Thanksgiving, gobble gobble!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Thank you binky-doodle, Byzantea, KurosunanoKazuo, stephen, sunarose and Rose Tiger for your reviews! You guys make me happy! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter 6: The End of the Day**

Hinata didn't know how she'd gotten into this situation. She really didn't. This morning she'd been Nobody Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga, a virtual nonentity within the confines of Konoha High School. Now she was the luckiest girl in school, the girlfriend a high school God, envied by every girl in town between the ages of 11 and 18 and currently traveling at 55 miles per hour down the freeway on the back of a flamed motorcycle, clinging to the back of said boy-God. Admittedly her cousin Neji wasn't the most responsible driver (he had on occasion experimented with donuts in the four-way intersections) but motorcycles were well beyond Hinata's traveling experience. It was a tribute to just how safe and happy being around Naruto made her feel that she wasn't screaming her head off.

"Am I going too fast for you?" Naruto called over his shoulder as he picked up a bit of speed to pass a car on their right.

"No . . . I'm ok," Hinata replied with all the volume she could muster.

Rather than making his usual dramatic stop, Naruto coasted gently into the driveway of the large Hyuuga house. He quickly pulled off his helmet and dismounted, helping Hinata out of the spare and off the bike. Hinata straightened her skirt, face pink and hair a little windswept, but when she looked up at him she was smiling brightly. He beamed at her.

"So . . . today was fun," Naruto offered, rubbing the back of his neck, "I mean, I had fun. I don't know if you did, but . . ."

"I had fun," Hinata piped up, softly but firmly, struggling to look him in the eye.

"So . . . today was fun," Naruto repeated awkwardly.

"Yeah, it was," Hinata finished. She bit her lip, steeling her courage. She was about to do something she would never, _ever_, have dreamed about doing before today, and yet . . . "You . . . you wanna . . . do it again, sometime?"

For a moment Naruto was floored. He had assumed he would be the one to ask, and yet here they were, and it was _Hinata_ that had asked _him_ on a second date. He grinned. "Of course, Hinata-chan, whenever you want!"

"Really!?" Hinata cried, eyes bugging out as they flew up to meet his, "I . . . I mean, I . . ."

That was where Naruto cut her off. He bent down, leaned in close, and kissed her. Not a deep kiss, not a French kiss, there was no tongue and hardly any lip action. He just placed his lips, feather light and hesitant, gently against hers.

That was where Hinata's resolve not to faint deserted her.

She woke up cradled tenderly in Naruto's arms. He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, I guess . . . I didn't think, hehehe . . . sorry."

"No . . . I . . ." Hinata breathed, trying not to stutter, "I mean, I . . . it was . . . nice."

Naruto's face broke out in a dazzling smile. "Great!" he replied, setting her back on her feet, "I guess, I'll see you at school, then?"

"Yeah," Hinata smiled shyly, nodding, "see you at school. Bye!"

"Bye!" Naruto called as Hinata turned and scampered for her front door. She paused on the threshold, gave him one last shy, happy smile, and disappeared inside.

***

"Oh damn it!"

Ino turned the key again, only to be rewarded with another tired whine from the engine of her car. Sakura sat in the passenger seat, rubbing the dashboard in an effort to ease whatever wrong they'd done the car for it to be so cruel to them.

"Why today?!" Ino wailed, throwing up her hands, "Why today, when Naruto-kun has a date and we need to see where he's going! Why, why, why today of all days!"

"I think its slightly more important that we can't get home!" Sakura pointed out somewhat angrily. Ino had just managed to free her from her increasingly awkward conversation with Sasuke and she'd been hoping for a quick get-away.

"You girls ok?" came a voice from outside the car. In Ino's driver side window appeared Choji, a member of Naruto's pack and naturally someone the girls knew pretty well.

"Yeah, but we can't get the car started," Ino whined, "it wouldn't be a big deal but my parents are out of town, and Sakura's won't come get us from here."

"You need a ride?" Choji asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the pack's convertible, "'cause Kiba's walking home. We've got room for one more."

"Just one?" Ino asked, looking worriedly at her friend.

Sakura sighed. "You go," she said, "I'll find my own ride home. If worst comes to worst my house is only about a half-hour's walk."

"I'll come back once I've dropped everyone off," Choji offered, "if you wanna hang around."

Sakura smiled weakly. "Thanks," she said, "but I'll be fine."

Ino got her stuff out of the car and then locked it up, checking every door once to make sure they were all shut properly. Then she put her backpack in the trunk with the packs' and climbed into the passenger side of the convertible, Shikamaru and Shino in the back. She and Sakura waved to each other as Choji drove off, leaving Sakura alone at the Quad.

"Need a ride?" asked a smooth voice from behind her. Sakura jumped and whirled around to see Sasuke standing just behind her, hidden in the shadows of the stone archway. He stepped forward, a content and vaguely creepy smile on his face.

"Sasuke!" she half yelped, stumbling back a step, "What are . . . I mean, I don't . . ."

"Yeah you do," he said calmly, "your friend's car broke down, and she just left with those boys."

"Choji'll come back," she insisted shakily, not wanting to admit she needed help.

"But I can just drive you, it'll be so much faster, and anyway didn't you tell him not to worry? Its quite possible he thought you meant not to bother."

Sakura bit her lip, thinking. Yeah, actually she hadn't meant for Choji to come back, she'd been planning on mooching a ride of someone else, or just walking. She had to admit to herself that Sasuke was just as valid a ride-mooch candidate as anyone there, and he was much easier. It seemed rather foolish to get in a car with him, all things considered, but . . .

"Ok," she murmured, "if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," Sasuke told her, joy-induced adrenaline pounding in his veins.

Sakura picked up her backpack, rather light since she'd only just now gotten her list of class-required supplies and hadn't had the chance to go back-to-school shopping, and put in the trunk of the red jaguar Sasuke indicated. Then, clutching her purse, she got in the passenger side as he held the door open for her, and resisted the urge to throw it back open and bolt in the time between when he shut the door behind her and darted around to his own side, jumping into the car and clicking the seatbelt into place with the speed of slightly disturbing eagerness. Putting on her own seatbelt, she watched with increased foreboding as he guided the car out of the parking lot.

"You know Sakura, you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met," he commented as he pulled out onto the all but deserted road.

"Really? You don't say," she replied uneasily

He went on, "In my old town we had a cheerleading squad that won more trophies than the football team. They were all gorgeous, but none of them hold a candle to you."

"Thanks but I'm sure . . ."

"No really Sakura," he protested, cutting her off, "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Sakura glanced out the window, realizing that they were on a street she only barely recognize, and then, suddenly, that he hadn't even asked her where he was supposed to be driving.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm taking you home remember?" he replied easily, not taking his eyes from the road.

"Aren't you going to ask me the way?" she asked, a little nervous.

"I thought we'd take the scenic route. I wanted to talk to you."

Sakura's heart jumped, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Please just take me home."

"What's your hurry?" Sasuke asked unconcernedly, "It's the first day of school, don't tell me you have homework."

Now the street outside the window was not at all familiar, and Sakura started to get scared. "Where are we?" she demanded, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "Where are you taking me? I've never . . ."

"That's because my family owns this district," he cut her off again, perfectly calm and not in the least threatening. "We just bought this old section of town and had it fixed up last month."

"What?!"

"Oh yeah, did I mention my dad's one of the ten richest men in the country?" he smirked, slowing the car down on an avenue lined with cherry trees. This was an obscure way into the new Uchiha District; to their left was a small strip of forest, to their right a bit of abandoned industrial land, but you could see neither for the ornamental trees.

Sakura however was a bit disturbed by how the trees cast an atmosphere of isolation. "No you must have forgotten," she said distractedly, "It's nice, now please take me home."

"You haven't seen any of it yet!" he protested lightly, slowing down further so that he could turn to look at her without having to worry about hitting anything, "Let me show you."

"No thanks," she said firmly, trying to make sure there was no trace of uncertainty in her voice. The car coasted to a stop.

Sasuke laughed a little, making her squirm as he leaned in close. "What's wrong Cherry, you scared of me?"

"No I just don't wanna see. I wanna go home. What . . ." Sasuke put one hand on her thigh, his seatbelt coming undone as if by magic as he leaned ever closer to her.

"Come on Sakura just talk to me for a little while," his forehead touched hers, and the hand on her thigh moved to the hem of her shirt, "I really like you, Sakura."

His hand slipped under her shirt, fingers spread out against her flat stomach. "Hey quit it!" she cried, trying to push him off, but he crashed his lips onto hers. She twisted in her seat, trying to pull away, but his hand found her seatbelt buckle and grabbed a hold of it, refusing to let her undo the restraint. She let out a small, panicked sob against his mouth, but this only allowed him to force his tongue between her parted lips.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

There was a resounding thunk as something, or rather someone, slammed full force into Sakura's side of the car, making the whole thing rock to one side. The door opened and Sakura fell backwards a little, caught by a combination of her seatbelt and a pair of strong hands. One arm hooked around her waist and the the other hand smashed down on top of Sasuke's, jamming his fingers against the button that released Saukra's seatbelt. Sakura tumbled out of the car, landing on top of . . .

"Lee!" she cried in shock and amazement as she recognized her savior. Sasuke let out a curse as he tried to crawl over Sakura's newly vacated seat out of the car, but Lee kicked at the door, making it slam shut in Sasuke's face.

"This way!" Lee called, pulling her to her feet and taking off between two cherry trees. Lee never released her hand as he pulled her down a small incline by the side of the road, then down an alley created by what looked like an abandoned construction site. Lee pulled her around several turns before they finally wound up in front of a large mechanical rig, now rusted with age. Skirting this, they slid down another, steeper incline into what looked like an abandoned rock quarry.

Here Lee released Sakura's hand, both of them panting. "Thank you!" Sakura puffed out a few moments later, leaning against a large boulder.

Lee grinned, still panting, "You are welcome, Sakura-san. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura reassured him, regaining her breath, "Thanks for saving me from that creep."

Lee frowned. "It's no problem, Sakura-san," he said, "But may I ask, what were you doing in a car with someone like him?"

Sakura straightened, looking sheepishly off to one side. "I probably shouldn't have been," she confessed, "but my friend's car broke down and he offered me a ride home. Teach me to get into a car with a stranger."

Lee glowered at nothing. "What a terrible thing to do!" he cried, clenching his fist in the air, "To trick an innocent young girl like that, that is the most despicable thing I have ever heard of!"

Sakura looked at Lee for a moment, watching him rant against the awfulness of sexual harassment, then glanced around. They were indeed in an old rock quarry, a large pit dug into the ground, dust and rocks as far as the eye could see. Over in one corner, however, sat what looked like Lee's green guitar, propped up against a wide, flat rock.

"What were you doing out here?" Sakura asked, turning back to Lee.

He blushed slightly. "I . . . I came here to practice, Sakura-san. The acoustics here are perfect for practicing to perform in front of an audience."

"Really?" Sakura asked, blinking, "You came all the way out here for the acoustics?"

Lee beamed, "Anything to get better, Sakura-san!"

Sakura giggled and Lee blushed, smiling even brighter.

Suddenly Lee looked off to one side, thinking. "Um, Sakura-san?" he asked, quietly and a little slowly, "Would you um . . . I mean, that is, if you wanted to . . . would you . . ."

"Would I what, Lee-kun?" she asked interestedly. She hadn't even noticed the suffix she added, but Lee did.

"Would you like to practice with me, here?" Lee asked, looking up at her hopefully, "I have the sheet music for the duet Gai-sensei wanted us to try. Would you like to try it again, Sakura-san."

Sakura paused a moment, then grinned back at Lee. "Sure!" she said, "why not? It should at least take my mind off of Sasuke!"

Sakura and Lee sat side by side on the large flat rock. Lee picked up his guitar, laying the sheet music out so they could both see. He strummed a few notes experimentally on his guitar, then nodded.

"_It's hard to believe,_

_that I couldn't see,_

_that you were always_

_there beside me._

_Thought I was alone,_

_with no one to hold,_

_but you were always_

_right beside me._

_This feeling's_

_like no other._

_I want you to know,_

_that I've never had someone,_

_that knows me like you do._

_The way you do._

_And I've never had someone,_

_as good for me as you._

_No one like you._

_So lonely before,_

_I finally found,_

_What I've been looking for."_

Sakura stared, wide-eyed, around the quarry. Lee hadn't been joking, it really did sound like they were in an enormous auditorium, singing into microphones in front of a voluminous room filled with a breathless crowd. She turned back to Lee, grinning.

"Lee-kun, that was amazing! How did you find this place?!"

Lee shrugged, never taking his eyes off her face, "I really do not remember. But suddenly I am very glad I did."

Sakura giggled. "Hey, Lee-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura-san?"

"Can I come here again, with you?"

Lee swallowed. "Of course, Sakura-san."

**Author's Note:** Are naruhina and leesaku not, like, the two cutest couples in naruto!? Yes yes, I'm turning Konoha High into HSM, but hey, the first one was pretty good, it was the last two that ruined the name. Plus, they all have some pretty good musical numbers in my opinion. Hehehe, sorry this is my first post in, like, forever. I'll do better, I pwomise!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Well since everybody liked my last ch so much I figured I'd just keep alternating between this and Golden for now. Thank you all for your reviews, now on with the show!

**Chapter 7: A Woman's Intuition**

Sasuke blew into school the next day in a panicked rush, his brother trailing behind him giving his back an amused expression. Admittedly neither brother's night had ended ideally but, as Itachi had pointed out at home over a dinner of microwaved mac and cheese and spaghetti-o's, at least his crush hadn't run screaming from him.

"She didn't run screaming!" Sasuke had snapped, giving his brother his best Uchiha death glare.

"You really could have thought it out better though," Itachi had laughed lightly, dodging a spoon as Sasuke resorted to throwing things at him when the death glare had no effect, "It was pretty obvious to _me_ that she was a little spooked of you to begin with. You should have started slower."

"I got impatient, alright?" Sasuke grumbled, grabbing his brother's spoon for a moment to serve himself another mouthful of spaghetti-o's, "I just got in the car with her and I couldn't help myself. The scared-little-schoolgirl routine was so cute on her, and she smelled like strawberries."

"Hinata smells of vanilla," Itachi remembered with a fond smile, "I noticed, but that doesn't mean I lost my cool. If you want to get anywhere with this girl now, take my advice and play the good boy for a while."

"She makes it so hard though," Sasuke complained wistfully, thinking back on the few moments alone with his cherry angel he'd stolen.

"Will power, Otouto," Itachi replied simply, "just keep it platonic for now. Remember, you've got time. Your only competition is the same as mine, and I'm dealing with him. She's not going anywhere with anyone."

"True," Sasuke agreed, thinking back on that morning when he'd been literally pushed aside for that idiot Naruto. At least he had his brother's help there, Itachi claimed to be working on a plan to take Naruto _down_. Still, there was the small matter of the boy that had pulled his goddess so abruptly from his car and taken off with her. Sasuke didn't recognize the boy, and from their brief encounter it was difficult to glean what his relationship with Sakura entailed. Could this be another rival?

"Try getting into her social circle," Itachi suggested, "make friends with her friends. If you play nice you're bound to find somebody who'll talk you up to her. Find someone she'll listen to."

Itachi's advice was usually pretty sound, so even though this plan seemed unbearably slow, Sasuke decided to give it a shot. He didn't think he had a chance with Ino, she and Sakura seemed too close for her not to know Sakura's inclination towards him already. So, keeping his distance to make sure she didn't get anything more to add to her "creepy stalker" image of him, Sasuke darted between students trying to tail her down the hall towards her first period class.

He stopped to smile for a moment when she led him to the music room. She hadn't been carrying an instrument case, so he could only assume she was a singer. _The voice of an angel too, no doubt_, he thought to himself as he headed for the door. He was going to be very late for his first period, hell he might just skip it altogether, but it would be worth it if he got to hear Sakura sing. _A love song_, he mused dreamily,_ a soft, sweet, innocent declaration of an unrealized attraction to a mysterious stranger that seems dangerous but is really only . . ._

"You!" Sasuke cried in shock, at roughly the same time that the boy in front of him gasped the exact same word. It was the boy from the road! The one that had stolen Sakura away from him the night before! He was de-shouldering the strap of a large green guitar, and he looked every bit as surprised to see Sasuke as Sasuke was to see him.

"What are you doing here!" Sasuke demanded angrily, storming into the classroom.

"Me!" cried the other boy in furious shock, "What are you doing here!"

"What do you mean by coming here!" Sasuke growled at the other male, furious that he'd beaten him here to talk to Sakura before class. Suddenly he caught sight of said angel ducking behind the other boy with a petrified expression on her lovely face. _No, don't be afraid angel! I only want to love you!_

"I have class here!" Lee snapped, anger written all over his face, "What do _you_ mean by coming here!"

That floored Sasuke for a moment. He hadn't actually expected the other to have a response to that, and now that one, a perfectly reasonable one at that, had been given he wasn't sure what to do. So, this person was a classmate, just somebody Sakura knew. A friend. Sasuke could have palmed himself in the forehead. Of course, there had to be plenty of people just happy to _know_ his angel. His brain kicked back into gear as he tried to think of an explanation for his own presence. He took a moment to settle on 'just to talk', but unfortunately that was long enough for another girl with two large buns in her hair he'd never seen before to enter the conversation by practically throwing herself on him.

"Hey cutie!" she cooed, latching one arm around his neck and leaning into his chest, "What brings you here?"

"A girl," he replied shortly, trying to disentangle her from himself, but every time he managed to pry her off she seemed to fall back onto him and reattach herself.

"Aw, you came looking for a girl like me?" she simpered, walking her fingers up his chest as she practically crawled up his body into his arms.

"A _specific_ girl!" he clarified. He was now supporting all her weight, and was trying to figure out a way to get her off without dropping her on the floor.

"That's ok," she purred seductively, batting her brown eyes at him, "I can be anyone you want me to be."

That was the last straw. Sasuke dumped her unceremoniously onto the music room floor. Ignoring her tearful wails of protest he scanned the room for Sakura, only to find that she had disappeared. _Great, now she thinks I'm some kind of operator_, he thought glumly. As the girl that had attacked him started to get to her feet, Sasuke turned on his heel and left the classroom quickly.

"You come back and see me now, you hear!" Tenten called, grinning broadly as she waved at Sasuke's retreating back. She grinned to herself, happy in the knowledge that she'd given Sakura time to escape into the back room where the school set of instruments were kept, and Sasuke a reason never to come back here again. Sakura peeked out from behind the door in the back, saw that Sasuke wasn't there, and came out again, smiling at her gratefully. Lee grinned at her.

"What was that?" asked a voice from beyond the door. Tenten glanced back at the entrance, to see Neji stepping out from behind the doorway. He wore a look of deep disapproval as he regarded her carefully.

Tenten smiled. "Oh nothing," she told him, waving a hand as though to shoo the moment away, "I was just helping Sakura-chan out of some trouble. She didn't want to talk to that guy, so I drove him off, is all."

Neji had an odd look as he looked Tenten up and down, as though not really sure whether or not to believe her. "So, you were just acting?" he asked skeptically.

Tenten blinked, "Yeah, of course."

"Good," Neji said at last, continuing on towards his seat. He had just past Tenten when he added, "'Cause you were acting like a real tramp. It was rather unattractive."

Tenten bristled. She turned around to look at Neji's back, angry and ready to tell him off for saying a thing like that. But he wasn't even looking at her. His tone hadn't changed at all when he'd said it. It hadn't been meant as an insult, there had been no emotion at all behind his words. He was just stating a fact, like he always did.

Somewhere around realizing this Tenten quite forgot what she was going to say.

"Tenten, why didn't you tell him off, huh?" Sakura asked as she came up to Tenten, rejoining the group after her brief trip to her hiding spot.

"I don't know," Tenten murmured, softly and a little vague, "I suppose he didn't mean any harm."

"But that was really rude!" Sakura protested, her brow furrowed in anger and frustration.

"Neji has never been very kind to anyone," Lee remarked, coming to stand between the two girls, "but that was unusually callous, even for him. Usually you would tell him so, Tenten."

"I," Tenten whispered, staring out into the classroom, "I just didn't feel the need, that's all. Come on, lets take out seats."

The class went by uneventfully. Nobody was asked to perform individually, but everyone started on their own arrangement for the same simple song they were to learn by the end of the weak. Sakura and Lee sat in the back again, side by side, but Tenten picked a seat a row back and across the room from her usual seat by Neji. She got out her flute and played as well as ever, but her heart didn't really seem to be in what she was playing.

At the end of class Sakura cornered Neji by the piano.

"You really hurt Tenten's feelings earlier," she told him bluntly, staring at him from beneath a furrowed brow.

"I didn't say anything to her," Neji replied simply, not looking at her but gathering up his sheet music.

"You said she was acting like a tramp!" Sakura protested angrily, glaring.

"Well she was," Neji defended, catching a stray sheet of music, "she admitted it herself."

"Yes but you didn't have to _tell_ her!" Sakura cried, frustration building by the minute, "She was just trying to help me, and you had to go and comment on how well she played the whore!"

"So?" Neji asked, tapping the handful of sheets on the top of the piano to straighten them, "It was true wasn't it? And anyway, its not like she minded."

"Yes she _did_ mind!" Sakura exploded, banging one hand on top of the piano, really angry now. "You just didn't see the expression on her face, since you had your back to her!"

Neji sighed, waiting a moment as Sakura agitated breathing returned to normal. "Tenten's my accompanist," he began softly, making Sakura blink in confusion. He rolled his eyes, "Someone who plays pieces that compliment mine often! She's my colleague, my equal, and I have to trust that if there's something wrong she'd be honest with me about it, not beat around the bush and play games like you do with your so-called friends. We've played together for a long time, and I think I know her better than you do, Sakura-san."

Sakura glared at him a moment, and then bit back her angry retort. She caught his gaze and fixed him with a hard stare. "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do," she said simply, and turning on her heal she left him by the piano, holding his sheet music and wondering if there was anything at all to what she said.

***

By the end of the day, however, Tenten was back to normal, and the usual chipper smile greeted him as he returned to the music room at the end of the day. Tenten had her own car, but she left her flute case in the music room during the day and came by after the final bell to pick it up, around the same time Neji and Hinata were meeting up there to go home themselves.

"Neji?" Tenten asked as she began to gather her things, one head phone dangling from her ear by its thin wire. Somewhere around third period Neji had realized that he'd left a piece of sheet music behind while he was talking to Sakura, and getting out the stack so he could put it in the right place he began to hunt for it around the piano.

"Hn?" replied, not looking at her but kneeling to look amongst the piano's legs.

"Did Sakura say something to you?" Tenten asked carefully, glancing around the piano to where he was kneeling, bending his head to try and find his missing sheet.

Neji frowned, wondering what to tell her. "Nothing important," he said at last, standing up, "Just something about you being the type of whiny girl who takes things to heart. I told her I knew you better."

"Oh," Tenten replied, not looking at him but down at the floor. Her back was unusually straight, though her head was bowed, and her bangs obscured her eyes. "And what exactly did you tell her?"

Neji gave her a wary look, "I told her I knew you better, that's all. She said you might have thought I was _calling_ you a tramp this morning. I told her you knew what I meant."

Hinata was looking between them nervously now, as Tenten stood still as a statue and Neji continued to look around for his music sheet. He found it at last, closed into the piano itself, and pulling it out he tucked it into its proper place, tapping the stack on the top of the piano to even it out.

"And what exactly _did_ you mean, Neji," Tenten asked softly, her voice taking on an odd quality he could not place as she continued to avoid his gaze, "Just so we're _totally_ clear."

Neji stared at her. "I meant that . . . well that . . . I mean, I know you weren't actually coming on to that guy. You wouldn't do a thing like that."

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to flirt with a guy if I want to!" Tenten screamed. Her head jerked up to look at him, angry tears forming at the corners of her large brown eyes.

"Tenten, what the . . ." Neji reached for her, startled by her sudden outburst, but as he tried to reach out to her he quite forgot the papers he was holding, accidentally sending them soaring in all directions all over the floor.

"Hinata!" Tenten cried, turning to the younger girl and grabbing her hand, "Come on, I'll walk you to the car!"

"Tenten!" Neji tried again, ignoring the scattered papers to try to reach for his classmate again, but Tenten had already darted from the room, dragging Hinata behind her.

When they gotten two halls from the music room Tenten stopped running. "Sorry Hinata," she choked, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, "I don't know what came over me."

"Its ok," Hinata murmured, "Neji . . ."

"No, its not ok," Tenten cut her off, "but it will be tomorrow. I just have to take tonight to pull myself together, that's all. Come on, lets go."

As they walked Tenten put her other ear-bud in and fished her ipod shuffle from her pocket. She took it off hold and hit play.

"_Got in this morning at 4 am_

_You're as mad as you can be._

_I was drinking and talking_

_and you know I've had go's_

_time just slipped away from me._

_By the time I knew what time it was_

_it was too late to call home._

_Stop carrying on like you're like a child_

_I wasn't doing anything wrong."_

Tenten smiled slightly to herself, letting the sound of her favorite song wash over her. She exhaled deeply, trying to blow out all the anger, the frustration, the pent-up aggression and the unshed tears.

"_Guys do it all the time_

_and you expect us to understand!_

_When the shoe's on the other foot,_

_you know that's when it hits the fan._

_Get over it honey,_

_life's a two way street,_

_or you won't be a man of mine!_

_So I had some beers_

_with the girls last night!_

_Guys do it all the time!"_

Tenten took another deep breath as the song played itself out. This song always made her feel better. Not many people knew it, but Tenten had a certain weakness for country music. The genre was, after all, at least 50% truly kick-ass women, many of them dealing with heartbreak and life on the more difficult side of being single. Mindy McCready was her latest heroine, and as they stepped out onto the front steps of the school the song ended, leaving Tenten to wonder what little piece of sound therapy her ipod would play for her next.

The front steps were deserted except for a lone figure leaning against the railing. He was tall, with long dark hair in a ponytail, rather like Neji's, Tenten mused, except that while Neji's was a chocolate brown color this boy's was jet black. His head was bowed when the exited the building, but as they walked by him he lifted his head to look at them, revealing deep creases beneath deeper, almost cold black eyes.

Just as he and Tenten made eye contact a new song began to play on her ipod.

"_Superstar,_

_where ya from, how's it going?_

_I know you, _

_Gotta clue, whatcha doing'._

_You can play brand new_

_to all the other chick's out here_

_but I know what you are,_

_what you are baby._

_Look at you,_

_getting' more than just a re-up._

_Baby you,_

_got all the puppets with their strings up._

_Fakin' like a good boy_

_but I call 'em like I see 'em_

_I know what you are,_

_what you are baby._

_Womanizer,_

_Woman-womanizer_

_You're a womanizer_

_Oh womanizer_

_Oh you're a womanizer baby,_

_you, you, you are_

_you, you, you are_

_womanizer_

_womanizer_

_womanizer._

_Boy don't try to front,_

_I-I know just-just what you are-are-are_

_Boy don't try to front,_

_I-I know just-just what you are-are-are_

_(Ooh) You got me goin'_

_(Ooh) You're oh so charmin'_

_(Ooh) but I can't do it_

_(Ooh) womanizer!"_

A shiver ran down Tenten's spine as she looked at the dark eyed stranger. Without a word she grabbed Hinata's hand again and dragged her off the steps, quickly across the parking lot to where her car and Neji's were parked side by side.

"Hey Hinata," Tenten asked, throwing a look back over her shoulder at the boy. He hadn't moved, but he was watching them. "Do you know that guy?"

"Mhm," Hinata answered in her usual high, breathy voice, "His name is Itachi Uchiha. He just moved here."

"Do me a favor, Hinata-chan," Tenten asked quietly, still watching the boy as his eyes continued to follow them, "stay away from that guy, ok?"

"Why?" Hinata asked curiously, blinking up at the older girl.

"Let's just say I dabble in fortune telling," Tenten replied, "and I know a sign when I hear one. Come on we'll take my car, I'll drop you off at your house."

"Neji-nii-san will worry," Hinata pointed out.

"Let him worry," Tenten muttered, "we're getting out of here."

**Author's Note:** Tenten is very smart, is she not? And of course, Neji is an uttery clueless asshole, but then again, what else is new, right? Hope you liked, Nejiten will make up by the end of the story!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** What do you mean basically nothing happens in the last chapter? Well you want something to happen check this out! This chapter gets truly terrible, soaring to new heights of perversion not even reached in the actual show. Enjoy!

**Chapter 8: Turning Back Time**

Naruto realized he really need to get back to Hinata about that second date. He really ought to have asked her by now, but it had taken a day to put his plan together, and he didn't dare ask her out again before it was finished. Getting home late two nights in a row would definitely set Jiraiya off.

The first night it hadn't been a problem. After breezing into the house way past the usual time he'd managed to pass it off as a few extra hours spent with his pack. This wasn't unusual, especially since it was the beginning of the school year, and so when Jiraiya had asked him, "What, no little hoties caught your eye?" he was able to laugh and tell Jiraiya that his lateness had nothing to do with a girl. However, he knew that answer wouldn't cover too many late nights so long as the Perv was being watchful, so at dinner he'd subtly slipped Principle Tsunade into the conversation, hoping for a reaction.

He got more of a reaction that he could have hoped for.

"Hime?" Jiraiya had asked, clearly interested, when Naruto had mentioned Tsunade's name. "You mean the little Princess actually went and became Principle of that school!"

"Yeah," said Naruto, wondering how Jiraiya knew the name, "You've met?"

"Met!" Jiraiya laughed, "We went to that school together! She was always the little good girl, straight A student, teacher's pet, and of course a member of every Homecoming and Prom Court there was, if not the Queen! I tell you she had a thing for me though."

"Really?" asked Naruto, excited, "You two were a thing? You ever get cozy with her?"

"'Course I did!" Jiraiya replied, somewhat indignant, "My senior year I got cozy with half the freshman class, and most of my own by then! Hime, though, she always played hard to get. I only ever got into her delicates on graduation day."

"Jiraiya-sensei, don't teach him stuff like that!" snapped Naruto's father. He of course was the current mayor, a tall, well-built man with long and spiky blond hair like his son's. He was particularly good looking and charismatic like Naruto as well, and he was a rather powerful businessman, so with his title it was really no wonder that his words even on casual remarks carried a lot of weight.

"Aw, come on dad," Naruto whined, trying not to let the subject drop, "I just wanted to know why she'd been asking about him!"

"Hime's been asking about me?" Jiraiya repeated, perplexed.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, bending quickly over his food so as to not seem too interested, "I saw her at school . . ."

"You get hauled to the principle's office already boy?" Jiraiya demanded, to which Naruto shook his head.

"I just met her in the halls," in insisted, "and she asked me if I'd seen you lately and how you were doing. So anyway, you guys went out?"

"On and off all through high school," Jiraiya replied, but his tone was already wavering as he began to drift away into some lost memory. "Hime, huh?"

Naruto couldn't believe his luck. Not only was Jiraiya interest in Tsunade, they were an old high school thing! Immediately a plan began to form in his mind as Jiraiya continued to space out and his father picked up his scolding for teaching his son to have sex in high school. Not that Naruto had any interest in having sex in high school, he was far more interested in making sure he didn't have too, since he knew Jiraiya would get onto him if he knew Naruto had passed up the opportunity. He grinned evilly to himself. Who knew? Maybe he could engineer a way for both him and Jiraiya to get the girls they wanted.

--The Next Day--

"Everybody have everything?" Naruto asked sliding his backpack off his shoulder as the pack all filed out a back exit. The fire door, thankfully not wired to an alarm in years, led them out behind the school, to a secluded area where one wall of the school had been left totally bare, no windows or anything at all to disrupt the endless expanse of red bricks.

"Paint?"

"Check.

"Paint Brushes?"

"Check."

"Spray Paint?"

"Check."

"Incense?"

"Check."

"Music?"

"Check."

"One pair of black lace undies?"

"The biggest cup size we could find."

"Everybody prepared to sign their names?" Naruto asked, turning to his friends as they began to unpack their backpacks of all their various supplies

The pack all nodded. Each held up either a jar of paint and a paint brush or a can of spray paint.

Naruto grinned. "Then lets make a mural."

Having gone to first period it took the pack most of second period to complete their little art project. When the bell rang for third period they all hurried inside to class and waited eagerly as the day ticked by, each wondering just how long it would take for their work to be discovered.

Last period found the boys in, ironically, art class, each attempting to draw a stuffed squirrel situated in the middle of their table. At five minutes to final bell Naruto was getting worried. "I hope school doesn't end before someone finds it!" he whispered, "First time in my life I actually need to get sent to the office, and just my luck nobody cares that I've done something wrong!"

"Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Shino Abruame all report to the Principle's office immediately!"

"Perfect timing," Shikamaru smirked, dropping his pencil on his half-finished squirrel, "this is way too much work anyway."

As always, the Pack left the classroom to tumultuous applause.

"I wonder how she liked it?" Kiba laughed, sauntering down the hall as though not at all concerned with getting into trouble.

"By her tone I'd say she didn't really appreciate it," Naruto replied easily, walking just ahead of Kiba, leading the pack. "My big question is how's she gonna like our next little surprise?"

"Only one way to find out," Kiba snickered, pulling out his iphone, "where you want I should hide this?"

"Under the desk," Naruto instructed, "the incense go in the corner behind that plant that's been dead since we were freshman. Shikamaru, you're on underwear duty, just make sure they'll be found."

As the boys all meandered into the front office the receptionist, a mousy looking woman named Shizune, waved them over to her desk. "What were you boys thinking?" she whined, placing the phone she'd been holding to her ear on her shoulder instead, "Tsunade is having a fit in there! You've really done it this time, what'd you have to go and do this for!"

"Have you called my parents yet?" Naruto asked, utterly unconcerned with Tsunade's apparent tantrum.

Shizune sighed. "I assume you father isn't home this time of day?" she asked, pushing a button on the phone and then setting the receiver back in the cradle. "Should I just call Jiraiya? He'll probably get here in just a few minutes if I call now, and you may want him to save you."

"Definitely!" Naruto smiled warmly at Shizune, his fingers quickly sorting through the tangle of wires on her desk and unplugging one while she wasn't looking. "Oh, and don't worry about Principle Tsunade, Shizune. I have a feeling she's about to really lighten up!"

"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Shizune asked skeptically. "You may as well go in. All of you, before she breaks something."

A door to Shizune's left burst open, revealing a very angry, very busty blond. "All of you!" she screeched, "In my office now and explain this!"

As the boys filed into the large principle's office they could see, laid out on the desk, pictures of the product of that morning's labors. Naruto had to admit, looking at the one nearest to him, it had been some pretty nice work. It really did do its subject justice, thanks of course to Shikamaru's superior planning and attention to detail. The pack had painted a, rather life-like, mural of none other than the principle herself, wearing the pair of black lace undies that Shikamaru was now slyly slipping into her desk drawer. In the picture she was bent over, glancing over her shoulder so that her ample chest was clearly visible, and yet the word 'juicy' was also readable across the back of her panties. Jiraiya, Naruto decided, would be very interested to have one of these "crime scene photos" for himself when this was over.

"Do you honestly think this is funny, Brat!" Tsunade raged, slamming her hand down over the pictures. Her face was flushed red with anger and her breasts seemed to strain against her bra as her chest heaved.

Naruto watched the twins' bid for freedom with mild interest. Hinata was a busty one herself, Naruto like Jiraiya being a breast man, but even she had nothing on this woman. "I thought you'd like it, Tsunade-hime," he said at length, being careful to add Jiraiya's suffix to her name, "we did it in your honor, after all."

At the mention of the word "hime" Tsunade straightened up sharply, her eyes on Naruto no less angry but now also questioning. "Who gave you permission to call me 'hime,' brat?" she demanded after a moment's suspicious silence.

"Isn't it a respectful title?" asked Naruto as innocently and politely as he could while also trying very hard not to look at her still straining breasts in favor of her eyes.

"Yes," Tsuande said carefully, "but where did you get it from?"

Naruto shrugged. "Just someone," he told her unconcernedly, now looking at the small space between the bottom of her desk and the carpeted floor, no doubt where the music for his little arrangement was already counting down the minutes until it began. The heady scent of incense wafted into his nose, telling him that Choji had just placed a rather strong smelling flame-less candle behind the dead plant in the corner.

"Actually I can't help being a little disappointed," Naruto put in, mock hurt lacing his tone, "we did work very hard on it, Tsunade-hime."

"Don't call me 'hime', brat," she told him, and he couldn't help but notice as her anger began to fade, ever-so-slightly, in the face of the reminder of Jiraiya. This might be easier than he thought.

Trying to keep her attention on him and not the potent smell of incense permeating the room Naruto leaned forward. "You mean you really don't like our surprise at all, Tsunade-hi-me?"

"Don't call me hime!" Tsuande protested again, obviously flustered now. She ran a hand through her long blond hair, eying Naruto warily. "Only one person's allowed to call me hime, and its no little gaki like . . ."

"Me?" came a voice from the door. Tsunade, Naruto and the entire pack turned to see Jiraiya standing in the doorway, leaning on the door frame and looking at Tsunade with mild amusement.

"At last!" said Tsuande loudly, straightening her clothes and making Naruto suppress a snicker at the irony. "All of you, out! I need to discuss this with Jiraiya and make a few phone calls to the rest of your parents!"

The pack immediately high-tailed it out of the room, leaving Tsunade behind the desk and Jiraiya in the doorway. He stepped inside, and immediately the door banged behind him as Naruto closed it quickly, the pack keeping Shizune's attention as he locked it discretely, trapping the two adults inside.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Tsunade frowned for a moment, confused, before realizing that Jiraiya's eyes had strayed down to the desk, where the pictures of the pack's mural were still laid out.

"This!" she cried, snatching one off the desk and shoving it in Jiraiya's face, "this is what your godson did this morning!"

"Have you considered putting him in advanced art classes?" Jiraiya asked casually, taking the picture from her hand as his eyes flicked from the woman before him to the picture and back. "He seems to be quite talented."

"Talented!" Tsunade huffed, opening her desk drawer to retrieve the form for a suspension. "Well I suppose that's one word for it! Another is . . . is . . ."

Jiraiya looked up, wondering why she'd trailed off. What he saw was this; Tsunade, her breasts heaving, her eyes wide, her hand still on the handle to her now open desk drawer. And inside said drawer a pair of incredibly small black lace undies.

Jiraiya set the picture back on the desk, smiling slightly. "You know Hime," he said, his voice deepening a little, "if you wanted to see me all you had to do was call. You didn't need to make something up and bring Naruto to the office. I would have come."

"What . . . what the hell are you talking about," Tsunade asked shakily, looking from Jiraiya to the pair of phantom underwear in her drawer. Jiraiya began to make his way around the desk, his eyes glinting.

Outside, Shino and Choji kept Shizune busy while Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru all listened at the door. "He's getting the idea," Naruto whispered, fighting the urge to laugh out loud. "How long till it starts Kiba?"

Kiba checked his watch, then suppressed a snicker. He held up three fingers, two, one . . .

"_Aaaaat laaaaaaaast!_" came the sultry voice from Kiba's iphone, filling the room with with one of the most cheesy romantic songs in history. Naruto shook with suppressed laughter as Kiba shoved his knuckles into his mouth and bit down hard. Shikamaru's face was determinedly straight, but he was emitting some odd noises from his nose that gave away just how amusing he found the situation as well.

After taking a minute to listen to Tsunade squawking inside, Naruto tore his ear from the door and motioned to the pack to head for the door.

"Wait!" called Shizune, looking worriedly from Tsunade's closed door to the retreating teenagers, "what about . . ."

**RING!**

"Guess that's the bell," Naruto cut in, waving to Shizune as the pack filed out before him, "we'll just let Jiraiya handle the rest then, 'k?"

"But . . . but . . ." Shizune protested, looking lost.

"Don't worry Shizune," Naruto said kindly, "Tsunade isn't calling you on the intercom is she?"

Shizune shook her head.

"Then I guess that means we can go!" Naruto finished brightly, "See you tomorrow!"

And with that the Pack exited the office to join the throng of students heading for the front doors, leaving a very confused Shizune behind them.

**Author's Note:** Why is it whenever I write Tsunade she's always having a tantrum? I suppose that's just how I envision her best. Naruto is the ultimate mischievous perv in this chapter. Yeah yeah, I made Jiraiya a little smoother than he really is, but I didn't want to get too . . . far. There are no lemons in this story, just a bunch of pervs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** I'm back! Finally, I finished Golden, so this is officially my major story! That is unless I start getting really into my new Ouran High School Host Club fic. Haha ::sweatdrops:: Well anyway, I have a kind of vague idea where I want to go with this story now, but I think it'll take a while.

**Chapter 9: The Morning After**

"Trade shirts with me!"

Sakura blinked, not understanding what Tenten had just said to her. She understood the words, in so much as she knew each one's individual meaning, but all together they didn't make much sense.

"Wha . . ." she said intelligently.

Tenten rolled her eyes and growled in frustration. Letting go of Sakura's shoulders she grabbed the younger girl's hand and dragged her up the stairs and inside the school. She crashed through the door of the first bathroom she saw and shoved Sakura into the biggest stall, usually meant for disabled students. She locked the stall door firmly behind them then turned, panting, to face Sakura.

"Trade shirts with me," she repeated, calmer this time but no less urgent. "We don't have much time before the bell rings, so make it fast!"

"Why do you need me to . . ." she trailed off, catching sight of what Tenten was wearing for the first time. She was wearing the same clothes she'd worn yesterday. Which meant she hadn't changed clothes since yesterday. Which meant she hadn't been at home to change her clothes. Which meant that she hadn't been at home this morning. Which meant that she hadn't gone home last night. Which meant . . .

Sakura's eyes widened in shock as she finally realized what was going on. She stared at the older girl in disbelief, and Tenten buried her face in her hands. "I know!" she whined, "I know ok! It was stupid, I get it, can we please move on? And like, trade shirts?"

"You . . . last night . . . with who?" Sakura stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Temari Sabaku's little brother," Tenten admitted, looking off to one side.

"Garra?" Sakura asked, both eyebrows disappearing into her hair.

"No!" Tenten waved one hand as though to shoo away the very idea, "her other little brother."

Suddenly Sakura's eyes widened again as she realized something. Catching Tenten's arm she looked the brunette directly in the eye. "Did you use protection?" she asked seriously.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ I used protection, do I look stupid to you?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly down at Tenten's, slightly wrinkled she now realized, shirt.

Tenten sighed wearily. "Ok, point taken, but will you please switch shirts with me? I don't . . ." she paused, biting her lip, "I don't want Gai-sensei to know that I . . . you know."

"Really?" Sakura asked in surprise, "_Gai-sensei_ is the one you're worried will find out?"

Tenten looked off to the side again. "Its just . . . well, I don't have much of . . . at home, its kind of . . ."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "Are you being . . ."

"No!" Tenten snapped, "Its just, well, my mom left when I was little, and my dad's kinda, you know, always working, or off doing something else. Most of the time its just me in the house by myself."

Sakura nodded her understanding.

"Gai-sensei's always just kinda been there for me. He's that way with a lot of the kids who are serious about music. Like Lee. Ok, especially Lee, but me and Neji too. He's always thought I was pretty responsible, so he's always said that I, I don't know, set some kind of example."

Tenten looked at the floor. "I just don't want him to know I did something so stupid."

Tenten looked up, and Sakura smiled sympathetically. Tenten let out a deep sigh, passing a hand over her eyes as though in exhaustion.

"So," Sakura asked, grinning slightly, "this has nothing to do with you not wanting _Neji_ to find out what happened last night?"

Tenten turned pink. "No!" she said, a little to quickly, "of _course_ not! Why would I care if _he_ found out?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever, just take your shirt off."

The girls arrived in the music room before the bell rang, not much later than they normally would have shown up. Tenten was hoping she could just take a seat somewhere far away from Neji and not have to talk to him at all, but no such luck; as soon as the girls walked in they were greeted by a solidly present and very angry Neji.

"Where the hell were you last night!" he demanded, loudly enough that some of those closest to them turned their heads in surprise.

"N-none of your business!" Tenten replied, her voice going much higher than she would have liked.

"You took my cousin home without telling me!" he half shouted.

"So?" Tenten shot back, "there was a creepy guy outside the school, I didn't want to just drive off and leave her there. Didn't she call you from the house?"

"Yes," Neji replied, a little less confidently, "but after that I couldn't get a hold of you all night! I called your cell, I called your house, where the hell were you!"

"Why did you want to talk to me so bad in the first place?" she screamed.

Neji didn't reply, just looked at her blankly. He didn't seem to have an answer. The entire class was holding its breath, watching them intently. Sakura was staring, wide-eyed, between the two of them, her mouth hanging open.

"Out, ok?" Tenten murmured, apparently aware of all the eyes upon them, "I went out."

"Where?" Neji whispered harshly, "with who?"

"Why do you care?" Tenten hissed, "You don't have any right to dictate where I go and who I hang out with!"

"Yes, but . . ." again Neji trailed off. He kept his mouth open, as though he was waiting for the words to tumble out like ice cubes in a backed-up ice maker.

"Look, Neji," Tenten said firmly, not waiting for him to continue, "I can do what I want. I am a big girl, and I can take care of myself. You're not my father or my big brother, and you're certainly not my boyfriend, so whatever I choose to do with my time, you have no right to question, complain, or try and stop me."

Neji opened his mouth, apparently about to argue, or at least say something, but at that precise moment Gai bounded into the room.

"Good morning my youthful students!" he boomed, "why has no one taken their seats yet! We must not waste a single moment our youth, onward to musical education and achievement!"

Walking toward the cafeteria to have lunch with Ino after second period, Sakura thought back on the events of the last few days. In less than a week her love life had somehow gotten infinitely more complicated and, frowning, she tried to remember exactly how that had happened. After being taken home by Lee the first day of school, Sakura had immediately called Ino.

"He did WHAT!" Ino had screamed into the phone, making Sakura wince and hold the receiver away from her ear.

"Calm down Ino," she muttered, picking through her pile of colored gel pens to find one suitable for the purpose she had in mind. Selecting a beautiful gold one rather close to the color of Naruto's sun-kissed skin, she wrote in neat, flower letters on her stationary; _Dear Naruto-kun,_

"My best friend was sexually assaulted by a psychopath, how am I supposed to calm down!" Ino demanded.

"I'm ok," Sakura assured her, biting the end of her pen gently, "this really nice guy I met in music class showed up and found us. He kinda saved me. And then he showed me this cool place to practice my singing. It actually made me feel a lot better." Frowning at the page, she tore it out and started again. _My beloved Naruto-kun,_

"Yeah Sakura, but this is serious business!" Ino protested from the other end of the line. "He could have raped you!"

"But he didn't," Sakura pointed out reasonably, "and anyway now I know for sure what a creep his is. I just have to steer clear of him from now on and I'll be fine." _How long have I loved you? Too long for love to go unrequited, my Golden Prince. Oh, how deeply I long for you._ "Besides, if he ever comes near me again, now I don't have to feel guilty about blinding him with pepper spray."

"You should press charged," Ino suggested seriously.

"For what, unlawful creepiness and invasion of personal space?" Sakura asked doubtfully. _With my heart, my soul, and all my body, I want you. How my skin aches for your strong, gentle touch._

"Try sexual assault and attempted rape!" Ino supplied, "you know I bet you could get some money."

"His family's rich," Sakura said idly. _My knees go weak at the very sight of you, and when you look at me my heart beats so fast I feel as though it were trying to fly out of my chest, just to be closer to you._

"You could get a _lot_ of money." _Being around you makes it hard to breath._

"Or his family could hire a barracuda lawyer and I could wind up with a black spot on _my_ record." _Your scent makes my body feel so hot. How I wish to know your taste as well._

Sakura frowned again, then shook her head and tore out that page as well. Too slutty.

"New topic," Sakura suggested, "like maybe something to do with _you_ and _your_ life. How'd it go with the Pack? Did you find out anything?" _My dearest love,_

There was a pause. "Well . . ." _For so long my heart has belonged to only you._

"Yeees," Sakura prompted, raising an eyebrow even though Ino couldn't see it. _My love for you is as boundless as the ocean and sky. How can it be that one can love so deeply?_

"Well, I didn't find out anything . . ." Ino trailed off, leaving a pregnant silence.

"Buuut," Sakura egged, grinning mischievously to herself as she wondered what Ino could be hesitating to say. _You are my love, my Prince, my Knight, my hero . . ._

"Something weird happened," Ino continued, sounding almost confused.

"Whaa-aat?" Sakura whined, "Tell me, tell me! Quit stalling Ino!" _I feel so safe around you, knowing you'll protect me from anything._

"Well," a slight pause during which Sakura held her breath, "my house is the farthest from the Quad, you know? So when we got there, it was just me and Choji."

Sakura grinned slyly. "Ino, did something _happen_?" _The feeling of your strong arms around me._

"_No_," Ino replied forcefully, "_nothing_ happened. Nothing _at all_. But . . . well, he just . . . he offered to walk me to my door."

"And you said yes?" _The soft, sweet sound of your voice._

"Well its not like I could say no," Ino grumbled, "but then, when we got up on the front porch . . . he . . ."

"He what?" Sakura pressed eagerly.

"He, um, he kissed me," Ino mumbled, just loud enough for Sakura to hear her.

"He did WHAT!" Sakura shrieked, then, "where? On the lips? Did he . . ."

"No," Ino replied, and Sakura was surprised to hear her voice sounded almost glum, "on the cheek. Afterwards he looked kinda like he couldn't believe he did it, like, I don't know, he didn't mean to, or something."

Sakura shook her head, then went back to her letter. _Your big, deep eyes._ "So? Did you feel anything?"

"Weirded out," Ino muttered, "I wasn't expecting it." _Your glossy black hair._

"But also," Ino continued after a moment, "I guess, kind of . . ."

"I have to go!" Sakura said suddenly, cutting Ino off. Without waiting for a reply she slammed down the phone, staring incredulously at the paper in front of her. Strong arms. Soft, sweet voice. Big, deep eyes. Glossy black hair.

When exactly had she started writing about Lee?

Standing in the lunch line, Sakura thought back on that letter. What exactly did it mean? Was it possible that she might have felt something for him? She had buried the letter in a drawer, and hadn't thought of it since then, but now she began considering her interactions with Lee over the past few days. He had, once again, defended her from Sasuke. She had sat next to him, every day in class, and somehow hadn't felt the slightest bit awkward. Did that mean she didn't have feelings for him? She felt comfortable around him, but in much the same way she felt comfortable around Ino. She had to admit, he was a pretty good friend. And after all, she _had_ written that letter right after he had saved her. Maybe it was just that she was thinking about an awesome new friend she'd made, who just happened to be a very chivalrous, heroic boy.

_**Let's keep it that way for now,**_ inner Sakura advised, _**and see how things develop. We still need to find out whats going on with Naruto-kun and Hinata, after all.**_

"This way!" a voice suddenly hissed in her ear as she broke off from the line with her food. She turned, and suddenly found Ino tugging at her arm, leading her off around the wall of the cafeteria.

"Wha . . ." she said, just as intelligently as the first time that day, but Ino shushed her, eyes fixed on a table towards the center of the room.

"Look at that table over there!" Ino hissed, pointing animatedly at it as she and Sakura sat themselves a table in a corner, not far from the one where Hinata usually sat with Neji and a couple of the other band kids. Hinata wasn't in band, but she usually sat with Neji and his friends simply because he was her cousin. Currently Neji was looking tactfully off to one side, as Hinata spoke quietly to Naruto, who was kneeling by the table.

"I can't hear what they're _saying!" _Ino whined, craning her neck out over the table like it would help her hear over the general buzz of chatter that permeated the lunch room.

"He looks so dreamy like that though," Sakura whispered, making Ino nod excitedly in agreement. Naruto was down on one knee, on the floor beside Hinata's table. The angle at which his legs were bent made his dark jeans hug his muscular thighs, and the sleeveless, tight orange shirt showed off ever ripple of muscle in his back as he reached out a hand to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

_**Wouldn't it be so awesome for him to kneel down like that for me?**_ Inner Sakura sighed dreamily, _**Naruto-kun is **_**way**_** too sexy to give up crushing on so easily. God, look at those arms . . .**_

As they watched Hinata turned slightly red, and Neji seemed to fight the urge to turn around and watch himself. Then, after a few heart pounding moments, Hinata smiled brightly and nodded, making both Ino and Sakura whine loud enough that some of the people nearest them turned to look at them in alarm.

Naruto and Hinata were going on a second date.

_**Damn it!**_

**Author's Note:** Damn, I need to quit having so much happen in so short a space of time. Next chapter we have a major time skip. The climax of this story is supposed to be Homecoming, but at this rate I'll never get there!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Hello peoplez! Double and triple thankies to Rose Tiger, preettygabbysz, Byzantea, jenaca, Kurosuna no Kazuo, Kibble Kin Slider, Sandanio and Baka1Chan for your reviews! Goddess, so much has already happened and its only been a few days! The climax of this story is supposed to be homecoming! Gah! I need a time skip. Say homecoming is at the end of the fifth week of school and by the start of this ch we are entering week four, leaving two full weeks before the finale. Maybe. I'm probably gonna tone down the drama for a bit anyway, practice my fluffing, and yes that means no Uchihas for a bit. Also, show of hands, who was left guessing as to why Tenten had a one night stand? 'Cuz I thought I made it pretty clear. Kazuo, if you don't have anything better to say than commenting on my choice of antagonists, don't bother reviewing again.

**Chapter 10: Love Story**

The next two weeks passed uneventfully. Naruto and Hinata went on three more dates, two at the quad and once seeing a movie. Hinata was almost used to riding Naruto's motorcycle, and Naruto had noticed that Jiraiya was conspicuously absent from the house more and more, hinting that his new relationship with Tsunade was going well.

"I don't know what you did boy," he'd told Naruto upon his emergence from the school, "but I know I have a date on Friday with a _E_ cup, so I'm not gonna question it."

Itachi, meanwhile, had memorized the route from school to Hinata's house, and had obtained Naruto's address.

Lee and Sakura were now staying after school with Gai for half an hour twice a week to practice singing. Since Neji had made it abundantly clear he had no interest in helping them they now sang to Lee playing the guitar. Sasuke had their singing lessons for the next three months marked on his calendar. Neji and Tenten's interactions were still strained, but they were at least talking to each other again, and though Neji seemed more contemplative than ever things seemed to be getting better.

Lee was thoroughly enjoying life at the moment. Not only did he get to see Sakura every day in class, every Tuesday and Thursday he had his crush nearly all to himself. Gai-sensei kept commenting on how much brighter and happier he looked, and how much more emotion he was putting into his music. He _felt_ like he was putting something more into his music. Performing with Sakura, even just for their teacher, somehow made him feel like every note was worth more. Music had taken on a new life and meaning for him, and he was beginning to feel like he was living solely for those rare, precious moments when Sakura would look at him, smile and tell him how well he sang or played. He didn't think he could have sung half as well without her there, her gorgeous voice just seemed to make everything sound wonderful. She was so beautiful, and she sang so beautifully, it made his heart _ache. _Lee was even starting to . . . consider, things. Things he hadn't considered in a long time.

Things like playing in front of an audience and not just a rock quarry.

Things like performing at a school function, despite what happened last time.

Things like writing a love song.

Lee had not written an original song since the second grade. Even then he'd known that, more than anything, he wanted to play the guitar. He'd practiced endlessly on the old, battered, second-hand instrument he'd gotten for his birthday, using any piece of music he could lay hand on. Deep down he knew, though, that he couldn't keep playing "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" and fragments of songs he didn't know the names of forever. One day, he'd have to be able to write his own songs.

Unfortunately his first attempt been something of a disaster that had left him with little desire to ever try his hand at songwriting again.

"Oh come on," Tenten scoffed, the third Wednesday evening of the school year at the local bowling alley, "'Angel Poptarts' wasn't that bad. I thought it was cute!"

"It was about breakfast food," Lee reminded her as she bowled her eighteenth strike since their conversation began. It had started as a game, but quickly deteriorated into Lee leaning wistfully over the back of a chair while Tenten bowled every turn.

"You were in second grade," she told him, sending the scuffed up ball sailing down the center of the lane to connect squarely with the kingpin, "you're in high school now. I'm sure you'll be much better at it if you try again."

"I am just not sure if it is a good idea," he worried, resting his chin on his arms, folded over the back of the chair. "What if I completely embarrass myself again, but this time in front of Sakura!"

"If you're writing a love song for _her_ I don't think she'd think any less of you if you sucked," Tenten shrugged, curving her ball so that it twice came inches from the gutter but still managed to knock over all the pins. "Not that I think you will."

"Do you have any advice?" Lee asked hopefully, lifting his gaze to where Tenten was raising her ball for another go. She contemplated the pins over the dirty, rounded surface before speaking.

"Find a song that you like," she told him, tossing her ball almost carelessly down the lane to another strike as she turned to face him, "a love song that you think is good for you and her. Use that as your inspiration. Try to write something you can imagine that artist singing."

Lee thought for a moment. It seemed like good advice. Then again, Tenten always gave good advice.

"What song would you recommend?" he asked, still thinking.

"Well what do you like?" Tenten asked, turning back to the lane. She got another strike while Lee thought for another moment.

"Disney is famous for its music," he said offhandedly. "Especially its love songs."

"Maybe a little . . . young for someone trying to get _away_ from 'Angel Poptarts'," she told him gently over the clacking of pins.

"I do not know," he mumbled dejectedly, burying his face in his arms once more.

"Well I do," Tenten told him, glancing over her shoulder as she picked up her ball. "I _know_ you'll do great. You'll write a wonderful love song and Sakura will be wildly impressed. Trust me, I know these things."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked doubtfully.

"Because I know you," she stated matter-of-fact-ly. One of her pins flew off and somehow managed to knock over all ten in the neighboring lane. She turned to face him, wearing her best encouraging, big-sister smile.

"I know that you're the type of person who doesn't give up until they succeed. You keep trying and working at it until you get what you want. You're a great musician and a great guy, if you just write from your heart I know you'll come up with a great song."

Lee's face brightened, and Tenten grinned. She knew that expression.

"Hey Lady?" came a voice from behind Lee. They both looked up to see a scruffy haired manager standing by their lane.

"Can we have your name and a picture for the wall of fame?"

Hinata was also thoroughly enjoying life at the moment. She was going out with Naruto, the boy every girl in school would kill to have, the object of her affection since she couldn't remember when and, apparently, the boy who was crazy about her as well. On every date he'd been absolutely perfect, by all indications she was the only thing on his mind and he'd lavished her with attention at every moment. The way he looked at her made her feel like the only girl in the world, the way he held her made her feel more safe and protected than she could ever remember, and his kisses were, well, completely mind-blowing in a way she hadn't thought possible. Indeed, there was nothing in the world that could shake Hinata's happiness.

Except for the fact that her father was beginning to notice that nothing in the world could shake her happiness.

"I haven't told him we're going out yet," she told Naruto over lunch one day. "He's very old fashioned. I'm just not sure he would be alright with me seeing someone he hasn't approved."

The weather had decided to be unusually warm for autumn, so to enjoy the rare sunshine the Pack had decided, like several other students, to eat outside at one of the round wooden tables on the lawn behind the school, and to Hinata's great surprise they had invited her to come along as well. At first she'd been a bit nervous about sitting alone at a table with five boys, but Naruto had smiled so reassuringly and the others had been so nice that it had taken her all of five minutes to completely forget that she didn't sit there every day.

"So get his approval," Choji shrugged, systematically devouring his cafeteria lunch. "Naruto's dad is the freaking _mayor_, and his mom is rich. He can't possibly be that strict."

"She's probably afraid he'll say something moronic and make a bad impression!" Kiba laughed while he let Akamaru wolf down his chicken patty.

Hinata shook her head. "It's just . . ." she trailed off, unable to find the words.

"He's not old stock."

The whole table turned to look at Shino, who now seemed to be ignoring his own interjection in favor of a beetle that had settled on his lunch tray.

Naruto glanced at Kiba, and his friend shrugged. "I suppose he's right," said Kiba, stretching, "your family's just recently gotten all rich and powerful. The Hyuugas descended from god knows what blue blood family that's been around, and rich, since the beginning of time."

Naruto frowned. "You think that matters to her dad?"

"Probably," Shikamaru yawned, "you know how these upper class twits can get. That's why I'm glad my family are all engineers. We make plenty of money, but we don't really belong in high society, so we don't have to deal with a lot of dumb snobbery and boring parties."

"Doesn't your dad own stocks all over the world?" Choji asked, looked up from his dejected contemplation of his now empty lunch tray.

Shikmaru grinned slyly. "Yeah, but no one has to know that. Least of all the damn press and all the rich social climbers in town."

Naruto glanced at Hinata, who looked down at the table. "I-I-I'm sorry, Naruto-k-kun," she stuttered, sniffling slightly.

Naruto put one finger under chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "Do you think that way, Hinata-chan?" he asked earnestly.

"N-no!" she cried hurriedly, eyes wide, "of course not! I-"

Naruto cut her off by leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Hinata blushed furiously, looking down at her hands twisting in her lap.

"Hinata-chan," said Naruto, smiling, "if you don't think that way, then what should it matter to me?"

Hinata's face broke out into a beautiful smile, and she threw her arms around Naruto, laughing with a sound like the ringing of a silver bell.

"I'm sorry I advised you to ask her out," Kiba moaned, covering his eyes with one hand and shaking his head in disgust, "you two taste like diabetes."

**Author's Note:** Can you tell I've really been getting into Glee lately? Yes, I actually wrote a song called "Angel Poptarts" for an imaginary band of ridiculousness that me and the rest of the Lit Mag staff at my high school made up. Their first single is "Supernatural Reconnaissance" and other hit songs from their debut album include "Infamous Tricycle," "Celebrity Metaphors" and "Pigskin Malaria." This is the second time I've used Shino for random jolts to the plot. He's just good for that sort of thing, since he does usually wait to talk until he has something important to say.


End file.
